Sketch
by Black Laramie
Summary: When a girl who says she a Mighty Duck named Helios's sister appears, the Ducks are confused as to who she means. She manages to fit in enough, but her abusive past back to haunt her, and the Ducks have to help her through it, or she might not get out al
1. Chapter 1.

(a/n: I don't own the mighty ducks 1, 2, 3, or any others they have come up with = disclaimer. I don't know if its any good, but I kinda like it, sorta, but who cares about what I think! I want to know what you think . . . you lovely reviewers who I know are reviewing . . . right?!?! Well I hope you like it, and review. I know the sibling thing has kind of been done, but I'm proud of this. So I hope you enjoy. You'll find out why it's called sketch later. Love and everything, Fyre Eye)  
  
Sketch  
  
Artemis Banks sighed uncomfortably in the limo, which she currently sat in. She was 100% frustrated with her parents, with her life, with everything. Magically out of no where, her mother decided that she's a burden, so she just sent Artemis off, as if she was a soulless, feeling less, rag doll. Ever since her parents got divorced, and her mother re-married, she'd been treated as a burden, which truly hurt Artemis.  
  
Her biological father was rich (hence the limo) and he paid to send Artemis to the school where her twin brother attended, just because he didn't want to deal with her either. Kenny, the man her mother re-married, claimed Artemis a waste of space and a waste of money, so she was just cast away. Kenny was abusive towards Artemis mentally and physically, so she was relieved to leave him but she worried for her mother. She never believed Artemis, when her daughter tried to tell her, but now she was with him alone, and Kenny had no one else to release his frustration on.  
  
Artemis hadn't seen Helios for a while, and was actually excited to see him. Their mother was going through a rather weird stage at the time of her twins' birth, and she named them both after a mythological god and goddess. Helios, meaning god of the sun, was born at dawn, and Artemis, which meant goddess of the moon, just a few minutes earlier, under the full moon.  
  
"Miss Artemis, we've arrived." Said the limo driver, Artemis didn't catch his name, but she nodded stiffly, and gathered her backpack, ice skates, suitcase, and drawing pad in her arms without word. The limo stopped without so much as another remark spoken by either, and the chauffer opened the door for Artemis, who just nodded once at him, and headed away. She was naturally quiet and modest, and wasn't known for being overly outgoing.  
  
She didn't expect Helios to show, and he hadn't. Artemis would've had a heart attack if he had even known that she was coming at all. She walked quickly to the dean's office and sat in a waiting room. The secretary, an older African American woman smiled softly at Artemis. "Whatcha here for, honey?" She asked kindly, smiling.  
  
"I've just been enrolled, I was told to come here ma'am." Artemis replied both quietly and politely.  
  
"Don't ma'am me, honey. I'm not **that** old." The woman replied, smiling again. "Well, you can call me Mrs. Wise, because that's my name. You go right on in."  
  
"Thank you ma'a—Mrs. Wise." Artemis caught herself just in time and walked thru the door labeled 'Dean's Office.' The dean was a threatening looking man, with white hair, and a receding hairline. He grimaced when the girl walked in.  
  
"What have you done?" The dean asked harshly and sat behind his desk, grabbing files from his drawers. "And state your name, you haven't been here before."  
  
"That's because I've just enrolled. I was supposed to come here to receive my schedule and dorm number. My name is Artemis Lana Janine Banks." Artemis replied.  
  
"Thank God. I'm sick enough of calling people's parents. Welcome to Eden Hall. I'm sure that you'll fit right in. Yes! Here are your things. Well, go along and get situated, there aren't any classes on Saturdays. Well off you go. Have a nice day." The dean said quickly and practically shoved Artemis out the door.  
  
"Well, goodbye Mrs. Wise." Artemis said with a slight wave and quickly headed out the door, still carrying her things.  
  
Artemis bit her lip looking at one of the papers that the dean had handed her. It said her dorm was number 1256, but she couldn't find it for her life. She was walking quickly, now that she was in a hallway with virtually no dorms in it, and she accidentally ran into someone. Her drawings spread out from her sketchbook. "No!" She cried and hurried to gather all of her things. The guy she ran into knelt down and began to pick up the pictures, but he stopped upon actually seeing one of them.  
  
"Wow, these are excellent." He said, examining a few of them. He looked Asian, but he had a Californian mixed in with his Asian accent. He was a bit taller than her and he had shoulder length ebony hair, and dark chocolate coloured eyes.  
  
"Thank you." Artemis whispered back and began to pick the rest of her pictures up. "Do you know where room twelve-fifty-six is?" She asked him, praying he did.  
  
"Yeah, two of my friends bunk there. You must be their new roommate. They're great. Their names are Connie Moreau and Julie Gaffni." The Asian boy replied with a smile.  
  
"But what is your name?" Artemis asked back. "I'm Artemis."  
  
"Artemis?" He asked, and she nodded. "Cool. My name's Kenneth Wu, but everyone calls me Kenny or Ken." He answered.  
  
Artemis cocked a brow at him. "I've heard that name before."  
  
Ken shrugged. "A few years back I was in the Olympics, and then I was on the Mighty Ducks, the group that got first in hockey."  
  
Artemis' eyes widened. "Oh! Then you know my brother. Helios!" Artemis grinned. "He was on the Mighty Ducks as well!"  
  
"Helios?" Ken asked skeptically. "Sorry, I don't know a Helios, sorry." Artemis bit her lip again, tears welling at the bottom of her eyes. "Does he have a nickname?" Ken asked quickly. Artemis shook her head but then shrugged. "Does he go here?" He asked. Artemis nodded. "Well, then let's gather the ducks. You get to find your brother, and I can make fun of someone about the name Helios."  
  
Artemis smiled and nodded back. "Come on!" He held out a hand to her, after she was positive that she had all of her pictures. She eyed his hand cautiously at first, but then she took it, and she let him lead her toward what she guessed was her dorm.  
  
She was right.  
  
(a/n: long paragraph, wasn't it?) Artemis smiled when they got to dorm 1256 without further incident, though she was still holding Ken's hand, almost unknowingly, and ignoring the slight tingling feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Here you go, Artemis." He smirked. She smiled slightly back, and she walked in, Kenny on her heels.  
  
"Yo! Cons! Jules! Roomy here!" Kenny called, grinning.  
  
"Go away Kenny, don't you know how to knock?!" Julie called back, but Connie seemed to actually listen to what he said, and she emerged from an adjoining room.  
  
"Roomy?" She asked skeptically, and then she saw Artemis, and called out for Julie. "Hi!" She smiled brightly. "I'm Connie, and I'm quite sure anything and everything that Kenny said about me is a lie. Nice to meet you. You can take that bed." She pointed to the bed next to the window, and Julie, or who Artemis guessed was Julie walked into the room.  
  
"Hi, I'm Julie. Who're you?" Julie asked Artemis, ignoring Kenny.  
  
"I'm Artemis."  
  
"She says her brother's a Mighty Duck, but his name is Helios." Kenny added in. Connie and Julie looked at each other. "Yeah, I told her that there isn't a Mighty Duck named Helios, but I'm guessing he has a nickname." Kenny added and Julie and Connie nodded at that. It made sense.  
  
"Well let's go!" Julie said, getting straight to business as usual, but not before noticing Kenny and Artemis holding hands. She smiled mischievously, and led the way. "Don't even leave your skates." She added to Artemis, as she was about to put them down. "We're going to the rink." Artemis shrugged, and pulled her skates back on her shoulder.  
  
"Come on Goldberg! You coulda blocked that one!" Charlie Conway laughed to Greg Goldberg, who just rolled his eyes in exasperation.  
  
"You be goalie then Charlie." Goldberg answered and rolled his eyes.  
  
"Duck alert." Guy Germaine said, motioning to the group of three and Artemis.  
  
"Come on Luis, stop, you've done it before." Adam Banks laughed from across the rink at Luis Mendoza, who was having problems with something he thought he'd resolved for good.  
  
"Shut up Adam." Luis groaned as he fell. "Just shut up!"  
  
"What?" Adam asked innocently, helping Luis up. "Come on Luis, looks like something's happening. Do you think you can managed to stop over there?" He asked, and skated away from Luis before the Spanish teen could react.  
  
"I'm gonna kill you Banks." Luis threatened and sped after his friend.  
  
"Guys, stop it." Charlie spoke to Luis and Adam who quickly did as they were told. Something was up. "Julie and Connie want you to meet their new roommate."  
  
Artemis stepped forward and opened her mouth, but then she closed it upon seeing Adam. "Ohmigod! Helios!" She shrieked and launched herself at Adam, who twirled her around hugging her, laughing.  
  
"What are you doing here Art?" Adam asked.  
  
"Well, Kenny started beating me up, so Mom sent me to Dad, but Dad didn't want me either so, ta da, here I am." Artemis answered softly, and rather sarcastically at the same time. A few of the other Ducks there looked at Kenny Wu with a little shock and confusion in their expressions. Artemis noticed that and continued. "And while I was hopelessly searching for my dorm, I ran into Ken, here, and he rescued me from total nervous breakdown. And then I told them that my brother was on the Mighty Ducks, and when I told him that my brother's name was Helios he said there wasn't a Helios on the team. I must admit I'm confused."  
  
Then a large amount of laughing interrupted her. "He-Helios?" Luis asked, doubling over, laughing hysterically. "You're real name . . . is Helios?!"  
  
Artemis walked up to Luis though she was still in her sneakers on the ice. She pushed him, a little roughly, and because he wasn't expecting it, he fell. "Yeah and is there a problem with that?" She asked him dangerously. Adam, or Helios, pulled her away from Luis.  
  
"Yo Art, calm down." Adam warned. "He didn't mean anything, okay."  
  
Artemis brightened after a moment, and held out a hand to help Luis up, which he took after a slight hesitation. "Sorry about that. I just reacted. My stepfather made fun of my and Helios's names, and I just . . . well, sorry."  
  
"S'okay." Luis answered, and snickered again at the thought of Adam's real name.  
  
"That's why I go by my middle name. My whole name is: Helios Adam Bryan Banks." Adam explained. "And this is my twin sister, Artemis Lana Janine Banks, I call her Art for short, though." Then he turned his attention to his sister. "Sorry 'bout Kenny, but I always knew that he was bad news." Artemis nodded in agreement.  
  
"People, can we please stop calling him Kenny, he's ruining my good name." Ken joked. Adam and Artemis nodded in agreement.  
  
"Thanks for saving Art from total mental nervous breakdown. She can use every once of brain power she can get." And skated just enough out so that Art couldn't follow without putting her skates on. Helpless on that level, she just stuck her tongue out at him, and Adam laughed.  
  
"Somebody that can get out there, go beat him up." Artemis mumbled, causing a bunch of the other ducks there to grin.  
  
"You play hockey?" Charlie asked with interest, eyeing her skates. Artemis laughed.  
  
"Me?" She asked, still laughing softly. "With . . . uh . . . **my** stepfather?" Adam skated back to the group, now that Artemis didn't look like she was going to kill him.  
  
"Why is it bad to have her stepfather and hockey mixing?" Connie asked.  
  
"Kenny?" Adam asked, and then smiled apologetically at Ken. "He, not you Ken, was a total jerk. He said women shouldn't and can't play hockey. He said they should just cook and clean, because that's all they're good for." Adam answered frowning. "He should meet you too." He indicated Julie and Connie, who both wore angry and offended looks, while Artemis was still laughing.  
  
Artemis calmed herself. "Well, I mainly figure skate, and I play almost a million musical instruments. I dance, too, and I fight. Tae Kwon Do lessons. Black belt, thank you. Though my stepfather doesn't know." Artemis grinned. "I like having friends in high places. But who wouldn't?"  
  
"Multi-talented?" Charlie asked, amazed. "Well, let me know if you ever wanna play hockey. We'd love to have you on the team."  
  
"Speaking of the team, where is everybody else?" Julie asked, looking around.  
  
"Well, Portman's around somewhere, probably babe-watching with Fulton. Why? Jealous?" Guy asked, laughing.  
  
"Shove it Germaine. Connie, I'm sorry to inform you, but if your boyfriend doesn't shut up and get over the fact that I don't like Dean, he shall become . . . let's put it nicely. De-balled." Julie grinned. Guy backed away from Julie as quickly as he could, and all of the guys around Julie shifted nervously. Connie laughed for a moment before realizing that Julie was quite serious.  
  
"You have nice friends, uh, Adam is it?" Artemis said wryly. Adam shrugged and nodded.  
  
Kenny tuned serious. "At least don't tell the Varsity his real name. They'd be worse than usual." Everyone there (not counting Artemis) nodded in agreement. "And they suck as it is."  
  
Artemis grinned. "Project." She whispered and rubbed her hands together, a plan already forming in her head.  
  
  
  
Artemis propped her back against the edge of Connie's bed, as Connie brushed Artemis's sandy brown hair, styling it randomly, and just having fun. "Artemis, why don't you change into pajamas, it would be easier. The hood on your shirt keeps getting in the way.  
  
"I'd rather not, if that's okay." Artemis said, her eyes shifting nervously.  
  
"Come on, Artemis, what's up? You can trust us. We're your roomies, and we promise, we won't tell," Julie stifled a giggle as she continued, "Helios."  
  
"Fine. I'll be right back." Artemis got up and pulled her pajamas out of her bag and went into their inset half-bathroom to change. She came back in a spaghetti strap light blue shirt, and a pair of purple and black silk boxers. But that really wasn't the problem. She had horrible bruises and scars and opened wounds. Some didn't look healed at all. It looked like someone had attacked her with a very sharp knife.  
  
"And remember, you said you wouldn't tell my brother." Artemis said in reminder, as they gawked.  
  
"Okay, I expected a tattoo. Never this." Julie replied, horrorstruck. "We have to tell Adam, and the others, and the police while we're at it. This isn't just being beaten up. This is serious **serious** abuse, Artemis. I'm surprised you even lived through that. It looks gruesome."  
  
Artemis refused to look either of them in the eyes. "You said that I could trust you." She said, her voice full of hurt, but neither of the other girl's opinions wavered. "Please. Don't tell. I can take care of myself. Just don't tell them. They'll treat me differently. They'll treat me like a freak. Everyone else has."  
  
Connie looked at Artemis, and was surprised to find tears streaking down her cheeks. She motioned for Artemis to come sit beside her and Artemis obliged. Connie began running her fingers through Artemis's hair soothingly. "Oh, Artemis, none of the guys would ever do that. And if they do, I'll have Julie de-ball them." Connie smiled softly, and relaxed some when Artemis let out a small giggle.  
  
It kind of frightened Julie though. Artemis had to be at least her age, or a bit older, and she acted so timid, like someone much younger, and she was just so unsure of herself and her standing in life. She took a hint from Connie though. "Yeah, I'll even de-ball Dean if he so much as looks at you funny."  
  
"Which says a lot, 'cause she likes him." Connie added innocently, and smirked at a glare that Julie sent her. Artemis nodded.  
  
"All right, I guess. If you're sure that they won't treat me like a freak." Artemis said, sighing.  
  
"No problem there. Though they all might want to beat your stepfather to death." Connie said thoughtfully. Artemis shrugged. "Jules, go ahead and tell the guys to get their arses over here. All of them."  
  
"Yes ma'am, right away ma'am." Julie saluted and headed away towards the phone in their room. (a/n: each dorm comes equip with one . . . picture a hotel =))  
  
"They're on their way." Julie said, upon returning a little bit later.  
  
Artemis wrapped herself in a blanket, not wanting them to see her until absolutely necessary. "Did you tell them any details?" Artemis asked Julie, who shook her head. "Good. At least I'll be treated normal for a little while." Connie looked at Julie and shrugged helplessly, and Julie returned the gesture.  
  
Dwayne Robertson, Guy, Les Averman, and Charlie arrived together, first, and Dwayne, Averman, and Artemis were introduced. Artemis just spoke a greeting to them, still hiding under her blanket. They talked a few minutes before Goldberg, Adam, Fulton Reed, and Portman arrived. Russ Tyler, Luis, and Ken were the last, Ken's hair was still wet from a shower, and a towel was draped over his shoulders.  
  
Those who didn't know Artemis were introduced, and Adam's real name was a joke for a while, before Connie and Julie started shooting Artemis dark looks, telling her to get on with it. Artemis looked at them helplessly, and the guys started to wonder why they had all been bothered and brought into the girls' dorm, which they could get in major trouble for.  
  
"Those weak of stomach are advised to leave." Julie said darkly, catching they guy's attention, and they all, yes all of them, focused on her. "Go ahead, Artemis. Oh, and for all present, anyone who so much as looks at Artemis weird or treats her anything resembling not total respect after this, I will personally de-ball." All the guys shot each other confused and/or worried looks, and Artemis stood up, drawing everyone attention to her.  
  
With a gulp, she let the blanket down.  
  
(a/n: I suck at cliffies! Lol, read and review, and I'll get more out soon ASAP. Flames not appreciated, but constructive criticism isn't minded, but please be gentle. I'm easily offended and angered. Love and everything, Fyre Eye. P.S. Review, cuz I like 'em =)) 


	2. Chapter 2.

(a/n: I'm back again =) Yay! And I want to thank the reviewers that I've gotten reviews from so far. Iz, you're completely right, and I'll do my best to work on that. And thanks for actually being nice about it! Hehehe. Well, I'll keep writing now, and thanks much!)  
  
Chap. 2.  
  
The general reaction was confusion or anger. The one who didn't know Artemis's previously told story figured that she did it to herself or something to that extent. The ones who knew the story knew who did it. I shan't say, because I don't want to ruin Ken's good name.  
  
Adam was probably the angriest, and the least shocked. "Artemis, did **he** do that. I know that he did." Artemis looked away from him and nodded. "But . . . why did he do it? And why didn't you tell someone before. They could arrest him for this. For good."  
  
"Because, he said if I showed anyone, even Mom, that he would kill me, and then her, or whoever I told, and then go after you and Dad, and if he knew that I had any friends, he would've gone after them, too." Artemis whispered, looking at her feet, and re-covering herself up with the blanket and sitting down. "Kenny was crazy, and he said I was bad. That's why he did it. Because I was always doing something wrong. Getting bad grades, not doing all my chores in time, not keeping secrets, trying to keep in touch with you and Dad and my old friends. He punished me."  
  
"Kenny sounds like a sick-o." Ken noted and everyone looked at him a bit oddly. "What?" he asked exasperated "That's it. I'm changing my name." He groaned. "I'm sick of that."  
  
"Kenny **is** sick." Artemis replied softly, reverting back into her shyness. "But that doesn't mean he's not dangerous. And he doesn't want any help. There's not anything I can do for him and I doubt that there's anything anyone could do for him. I'm afraid that he'll hurt my mom, now that I'm not there any more. And if he ever finds out about Tammy, well, then all hell might break loose."  
  
"Tammy?" Connie asked, the name of her old friend sparking her interest. "Did Tammy have a younger brother Tommy?"  
  
"Tammy was my only friend, but my stepfather and mother never found out about her. I wouldn't let them. Tammy was the one who taught me about figure skating. She taught me everything I know. She had a younger brother, Tommy, but he was more into hockey." Artemis answered. "Kinda like you guys."  
  
"I knew them." Connie replied. "Tammy was a good friend of mine."  
  
"Me too." Artemis responded. "Can I please go get dressed now?"  
  
"You should go to the nurse." Portman spoke up for the first time, and several of his friends nodded in their agreement. Artemis immediately shook her head and cowered back away from the group, who all seemed to want to get her to the nurse's office. Artemis knew that it was for her own good, but she could take care of herself. She didn't need her brother's friends to feel sorry for her. She'd been taking care of herself for years. She could continue to do so.  
  
"No." She said firmly, and headed into the bathroom to change again, leaving the rest of the ducks to converse about what to do.  
  
~~~~  
  
"So, Adam, what do we do about her? She's more stubborn than all of us combined." Connie asked perplexed, looking at the door that Artemis had just walked thru.  
  
Adam shrugged. "I don't think that killing Kenny would help the problem, would it?" Ken glared at him and Adam shrugged again. "What do you want me to do, the guy's name is Kenny."  
  
"How can we convince her to go to the nurse's?" Julie asked reclaiming their conversation, which had veered off. "She needs to be checked over, and just because she doesn't like it doesn't mean that it doesn't have to be done. Some of those cuts looked bad, not even healed, and some infected. That could be really bad for her." Julie continued, and everyone shrugged.  
  
"I've put up with them until now, and I'll live with them until they're better. None are infected; they're just a little red and sore. And you guys can't make me go to the nurse. I refuse. I'm able to take care of them. I've been doing it for years. Unless of course, you doubt my abilities to know when I'm okay or not." Artemis nearly growled, entering the room.  
  
"Well, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't go to the nurse." Ken said angrily.  
  
"Well, maybe I don't need my stupid twin's stupid friends hounding me about something I can handle perfectly well on my own. Get out. Guys aren't supposed to be in here. I'll call the office." Artemis pointed at the door and the guys left, Adam wearing a hurt look on his face.  
  
"We'll be back." Adam promised, and only left because of Charlie's persistent persuasion.  
  
"No, Connie, Julie. I'm **not* going to the nurse. I know how to take care of myself." Artemis objected before the other two girls could even open their mouths. Neither girl responded, knowing it would be useless to even try. "Good-night."  
  
Julie's short temper got the better of her. "What do you mean, good night. Aren't we just your stupid twin's stupid friends?"  
  
"Jules." Connie interrupted. "Don't fight. We can figure this out in the morning."  
  
~~~~  
  
Artemis woke, first of all the girls, with a pounding headache. It was so bad that she could hardly sit up, much less move around. She gasped in pain as she stood anyway. She had things that she had to do. She felt like an idiot treating Helios—no Adam—'s friends like she had. She was just upset and scared. They didn't know Kenny like she did. Granted Adam hated him, that didn't mean that he knew him.  
  
She quickly changed into a black long-sleeved leotard, and threw a pair of baggy khaki cargo pants over the leotard. Her usual outfit. She grabbed a midnight blue sweatshirt while she was at it, but she didn't put it on. She hurriedly brushed her perfectly lined pearly teeth, and brushed her waist-length sandy brown hair and pulled it into a ponytail before jogging out of the room, after grabbing her backpack and pushing in some earrings, and pulling on a pair of shoes.  
  
She was surprised to run into one of Adam's friends. Fulton . . . something or other.  
  
"Hi." She muttered to him, but she kept walking, and Fulton turned and walked beside her.  
  
"Early-riser?" He asked, and Artemis nodded vaguely. "Me too." He answered. "Sorry about yesterday, with the guys. They honestly just want to help."  
  
"I know that, but it doesn't make it right, forcing me to go to the nurse." Artemis replied, looking around. "Do you know where the cafeteria is, Fulton, I'm starving here."  
  
"Yeah, I'll take you there. We might be the only ones there. Most of the guys like to sleep late when they can." Fulton answered, and turned an abrupt right. "So, why are you wearing that?" Fulton motioned to her leotard top.  
  
"Habit." She answered shortly, then expanded when Fulton cocked an eyebrow at her. "I told you guys, I'm a dancer. As a dancer I wear leotards, and I usually wear them pretty much everyday. Do you follow?"  
  
"Yeah, just asking." Fulton answered. "And you never told me you danced. You must of told one of the others. Remember, I didn't meet you until you showed everyone all your scars." Artemis nodded again, remembering, and feeling bad for not remembering earlier. "Well, here it is." Fulton said, upon entering the so-called Cafeteria. It had wooden walls, tables, chairs, floors, and was exquisite. Very fancy. Overly fancy for a place where high school students would probably sit eating French fries and burgers, and starting food fights.  
  
"Wow." Artemis stated, awed, eyeballing the room.  
  
"Yep." Fulton shrugged; he'd seen it before. "And, Sketch, if you ever wanna just talk. I know how you feel." Fulton left at that, leaving Artemis on her own.  
  
"Sketch?" She echoed to herself "Oh, he must have seen some of my work." She muttered and then left to get in line for breakfast. Though that fact alone was hard to believe. A line, for **breakfast**. That was a new one.  
  
~~~~  
  
"That's a grapefruit, toast, juice carton, and bottle of water?" The woman who rang up the amounts of food taken asked. Artemis nodded, and adjusted her tray. "Well, thank you and have a nice day." Artemis replied with something polite and headed to an empty table, not that that was exactly hard to do, as most of the tables were empty.  
  
Artemis began eating silently, pondering over what to do, when she was joined by someone new. She randomly guessed that it was one of the other ducks, or some other of Adam's friends, or perhaps Adam himself. "Look." She said, about to apologize, and looked up, it wasn't any of the ducks. "Oops. You're not them. Can I help you?"  
  
"Well, you could tell me why you're at my table." The guy answered in a snooty voice. His entire look screamed jock, from his haircut to his Warriors jacket. Mostly the Warriors jacket.  
  
"Sorry I didn't know that it was your table. I'll move." Artemis replied. As she was walking away though, the jock grabbed her arm.  
  
"Wait. I want to talk to you." He said, but Artemis jerked away.  
  
"Let go." She said, trying to yank her arm out of his grip and steady her lunch tray at the same time. "Please."  
  
"What's wrong with you. I just want to talk. My name's Rick Riley. Who're you?"  
  
Artemis realizing that she wouldn't be able to get away, sat down again. "My name is Artemis Banks. Can I just please go now?" She asked quietly, not really expecting to go again.  
  
"You're related to Adam Banks, aren't you?" Riley accused, as if it were a bad thing. Artemis shrugged meekly. "You are!"  
  
"Yes, I am." Artemis said softly, looking around, realizing that they were the only two in the huge dining hall. "I have got to go now." Artemis more asked than spoke.  
  
"You play hockey?" He asked, ignoring her. Artemis shook her head. "Good. How about I show you around? So you don't get lost or anything?" Riley offered, appearing to try to be nice to Artemis, now that he knew she didn't play.  
  
"No thank you, I've got to go. If I need any help I just get Adam or one of his friends to help me." Artemis said, knowing how mad they probably were for how she treated them the day before.  
  
"What's your problem, besides, I heard some of them talking, they're pissed at you." Riley told her of a conversation he overheard in the hallway, not knowing that she expected something like that.  
  
"Well, thank you for trying to help, but I've got to go talk to someone." Artemis left her tray on the table and scooted away from Riley, and jogged away from the table and who was sitting there.  
  
~~~~  
  
"So, will I be okay?" Artemis asked the woman in a white coat.  
  
The woman tsk-tsked back. "So, your stepfather did this?" She asked, and Artemis half-nodded her head back. "What we do to our children. You'll be okay, just try not to reopen any of these cuts, and do try not to get any more bruises or anything. Every single mark on you was or is a horrible wound, and you've suffered a big loss of blood. Keep all of those cuts clean. If any of them open or start hurting badly, or you get any more, come see me immediately. Be careful Artemis."  
  
"Alright. But please, keep your promise. Don't call the police." Artemis answered and left the Nurse's office and headed back to her dorm. I was time to make some apologies.  
  
~~~~  
  
"Connie, Julie?" Artemis asked upon entering the dorm room. Julie was watching TV, and Connie was laying on her bed reading a thick book. Connie set the book down and looked up at Artemis, but Julie just ignored her. "Julie, come on, please look at me." Artemis sighed when Julie didn't even blink. "I'm sorry for what I said and how I acted yesterday. I'm not used to people really caring about me."  
  
Connie smiled slightly and Julie clicked off the TV. "I went and saw the nurse today after some guy named Rick Riley told me that you all were really mad at me."  
  
Julie whipped her head around. "Riley?" She asked. "You believed Riley? He's Varsity. He hates the ducks."  
  
"Oh. That explains why he got so mad when he found out that I was Helios—I mean Adam's—sister." Artemis shrugged. "I wonder why he wanted to talk to me so badly, then. When I tried to walk away he just grabbed my arm, and he wouldn't let me leave. Jerk."  
  
"You have seen the light." Connie joked back. "You went to the nurse?" Artemis nodded. "What did she say?"  
  
"The same thing that I said." Artemis replied. "I'll be fine."  
  
"Good. Now go apologize to, heh, Helios." Julie laughed and turned the TV back on. "If we're not here when you get back, we'll be at the rink."  
  
"Okay." Artemis answered, and walked out of the room, to get lost and attempt to find her twin.  
  
~~~~  
  
"Shitawki Mushrooms." Artemis said, her form of cursing. (a/n: actually it's my form of cursing =))  
  
"I don't think that Eden Hall serves that." Said a semi-familiar voice. Kenny Wu. "Having problems?"  
  
"Sort of. I want to apologize for yesterday. I didn't mean to call you guys stupid, I was upset. I went to see the nurse today and I'll be fine. I'm actually lost again. I'm trying to find Adam do you know where he is?" Artemis asked quietly.  
  
"No, but I'll help. And it's okay. You don't have to apologize." Kenny answered. Artemis didn't respond to that, she just kept her head down. "You're too shy." He commented, but Artemis shrugged, her feelings a little hurt, that was just how she was. "I'm glad though. There are too many loud people in the Ducks."  
  
"Thanks." Artemis answered, and the two started down the hallway. "So, where are we going to look first?" Artemis asked, having no clue where Kenny was headed.  
  
"Well, first we're going to go to the rink. I'm just going a different way then we went yesterday. We'll take the scenic route, that way I can show you around and we can look for Adam at the same time." Kenny answered.  
  
"Oh." Artemis answered.  
  
  
  
The two ran into quite a few of the other ducks on the tour; Artemis apologized to them, but most just shrugged it off with a smile. They knew that she was sorry, and they didn't hold it against her. The ones who didn't weren't happy about the whole thing, but for the sake of it, they just said that it was okay. The only ones that they hadn't run into were Fulton, Charlie, or Adam himself.  
  
~~~~  
  
Adam and Charlie were at the rink, true to Kenny's guess. The two were passing the puck back and forth together, talking. "I seriously don't get it Charlie. I just don't get it. Whoever that is, she's not my sister. It's my fault. I should've been there for her more than I was. I should've gone with our mom.  
  
"We both knew how bad Kenny was, but she went, just because she's older than me by three minutes." Adam said and hit the puck with all the force he could muster, which sent the puck sailing to hit an angled wall with a loud clatter. "The bastard took away my sister. She never insulted anyone like that before. Not even people she hated. Never." Adam continued.  
  
"I know, Adam, but you have to calm down. It's probably not even half as bad as it seems. Tension was high last night. Talk to her." Charlie advised his best friend.  
  
Adam nodded, but he didn't move to leave, he did, however, move to retrieve that puck that he had sent flying.  
  
  
  
Kenny and Artemis heard the whole conversation and looked at each other helplessly.  
  
"I screwed everything up." Artemis said, clenching her fists, two tears trickling down her cheeks. "What am I supposed to do now?"  
  
"Well first, you apologize. No wait, that's second. First you should relax, because your hands are bleeding." Kenny said and grabbed her wrists and her hands relaxed immediately with contact, and the nails that were piercing her palms lightened and released her palm. "Now go apologize. Everything will be fine."  
  
"Promise?" Artemis asked. And Ken nodded, so she nodded back and pulled on her ice skates before heading out onto the ice after he brother. Ken knew instantly that she wasn't lying when she said that she figure skated. She had a natural grace when she was on the ice that was oblivious to the universe everywhere else. Artemis skated to her younger twin brother and looked at him. "Sun boy!" She grinned and hugged him.  
  
"Artemis?!" Adam asked, confused and surprised. "What's up?"  
  
"I just want to apologize for yesterday. I'm not used to people meaning when they say that they care if I'm okay. I didn't mean to hurt you or your friends' feelings. Forgive me, Sun boy?"  
  
"Of course Moon lady." Adam answered with a half grin and his rarely used nickname for her.  
  
"Good. Now where's Charlie, I saw him skate off. He's the next on my victim's list." Artemis asked.  
  
"Probably in the guys' locker room." Adam answered.  
  
"Thanks little bro." Artemis laughed and skated off with a twirl.  
  
~~~~  
  
"Charrrrlie?" Artemis called into the guys' locker room before entering. "Warning, girl coming in." She added before entering.  
  
"Artemis?" Charlie asked. "S'at you?"  
  
"Nope, I am the ghost of Artemis wOoO! Be afraid. Very afraid." Artemis said, cracking a small grin.  
  
"Too late." Charlie replied.  
  
"Well, I just want to apologize for being a jerk yesterday." Artemis answered.  
  
"You should still go to the nurse, but don't if you don't want to." Charlie answered, though he was smiling.  
  
"I did."  
  
"Good." Charlie replied, and silence took over.  
  
"What a great conversation we're having, but I'm gonna go skate some." Artemis smiled slightly and left the guys locker room, running into Adam on her way out, and his way in.  
  
"Uh, Art, you're either in the wrong locker room or you have something important to tell me." Adam said innocently and dodged a punch from his sister, and ran all the way in, leaving Artemis to head out into the rink on her own.  
  
Kenny was already on the ice, but he wasn't practicing anything for hockey. He was figure skating. And he was good. Artemis wasn't the least bit surprised that he went to the Olympics with his moves. He was zooming around as if he owned the rink.  
  
"Time to gain a little respect out there." Artemis said quietly, and headed out, careful not to trip on her baggy pants.  
  
  
  
Artemis started with some slow laps, warming up, but was passed several times by Kenny, who had already built up some speed. The Asian American didn't seem to even notice her. Artemis turned, skating backwards, warming up several different muscles as she went. She continued to build speed until she could almost challenge the quick Luis Mendoza. She turned several times, loosening up, before she would begin to try a few small jumps.  
  
The two unknowingly had drawn an audience. Coach O'Rion, several Varsity members, including Rick Riley, and some Ducks.  
  
Artemis did a double axle, and Kenny copied her, upon seeing her do it. Then Kenny began spinning quickly, pulling himself into a more aerodynamic position, and Artemis imitated his position. The two broke out at the same time, and in appreciation, Artemis preformed a back flip on mid-ice. Even Kenny was a bit impressed with her perfect landing, but he retaliated with a few jumps of his own.  
  
Artemis joined him in the jumps until the two were skating together, concentration and delight written on both of their faces. They finished together with a complicated looking, but easily preformed lift. The two burst out laughing as they bowed to each other. Both were startled to hear clapping. They hadn't noticed that they had an audience. How utterly embarrassing.  
  
"Nice." Coach O'Rion laughed upon seeing them both blush. "I must say I'm impressed. And you are . . .?" He asked Artemis who whispered out her name.  
  
"Ah, so you're Adam's sister?" He asked.  
  
Artemis almost asked about how he had known, but she shrugged it off and nodded, ignoring some snorting from the Varsity students.  
  
~~~~  
  
Rick Riley sat with his buddies in the Cafeteria that evening. "I've got it." He said, smiling brilliantly. "I know just how to make those ducks pay for beating us at the JV, Varsity game last year, and for all of their pranks. I've totally got it. Come here . . .." He motioned for the other Warriors to lean in to hear what he had to say.  
  
The group broke apart snickering when Riley was done explaining. It was time for the plan to be executed, and the group broke apart.  
  
(a/n: Chapter two, chapter two. I hope you liked it. I did. I'm not an ice skater or a huge fanatic or anything, so love me and forgive me. Remember, if you kill me, I can't write more, and that's my only means of living so I really hope you liked it, I like living. Well, review please, and I'll get more out. Love and everything. Fyre Eye.) 


	3. Chapter 3. (I'm so original w/ my chapt...

(a/n: I kind of like how this story is coming out, but I haven't got even one review for chapter two, yet, so I don't feel very loved at all. Either that or you hated it so much you couldn't bear to review. **gulp**. Well, try to enjoy, 'cause I like happy reviewers.)  
  
1 Sketch  
  
2 Chapter 3  
  
Artemis Lana Janine Banks couldn't sleep.  
  
She turned to glare at the glowing neon green lights of her alarm clock that told her that it was 12:30 A.M. She clearly scowled at it and sat up. "I hate you, too." She whispered savagely, and changed out of her pajamas into something a bit more wearable. She snuck out of the dorm, mainly because it was past curfew. All she really had to do was get off campus without getting caught.  
  
It was totally doable.  
  
Artemis slinked by the office near silently, with no problem, since no one was there. No noise came from any of the dorms, which actually surprised Artemis, because most of the people she knew wouldn't be caught asleep prior to two or so in the morning.  
  
It was also pretty lonely; she had no one to talk to, though excluding Tammy and Tommy Duncan, that wasn't anything new.  
  
^^^^^Flashbacks are fun^^^^^  
  
"God damnit! BANKS!" Kenny's voice whipped though Artemis' night like lightning split the sky. Kenny always called her Banks, because she wouldn't take his last name, but instead kept Banks. Artemis guessed he did it so that she would end up hating the name, but that would never happen.  
  
Artemis grimaced and shakily stood from her bed, before limping down the stairs of the attic of their simple one-and-a-half-story house, where Artemis slept, along with some mice and dusty boxes. "Yes?" She asked with difficulty.  
  
"What the hell took you so long?" Kenny asked, shooting daggers at Artemis with his eyes.  
  
'Oh, I don't know, perhaps it was all the pain from your previous displays of love?' Artemis thought vehemently, but only muttered, "I'm sorry."  
  
"Yes, you are." Kenny spat back, making Artemis recoil from him in disgust and considerable fear. "This place is a fucking pig sty."  
  
Artemis looked around, and mentally agreed, though she had it spotless only a few hours ago. Furniture was broken and thrown everywhere, there were several bottles of beer from both her mother and Kenny. Articles of clothing were precariously scattered about and dust, dirt, and broken glass were everywhere. It looked like the once Mrs. Banks and Kenny got in a little fight, though it was probably forgotten already.  
  
Apparently Artemis spaced out while she was thinking, a sharp slap across the cheek quickly brought her back to reality. Her hand flew up to her still stinging cheek. "Clean this up, and if you're not done in an hour . . ." Kenny drifted off. Artemis neither needed nor wanted to hear the remainder of the threat, she knew well enough.  
  
~~  
  
Artemis clenched her teeth in a silent scream. An hour has passed, she hadn't finished, and she was in trouble. The feeling of the knife cutting her flesh was like that of a hot knife through butter. On top of her bruises, it was unbearable, and she fainted due to the pain.  
  
~~  
  
Artemis woke in her own bed the next morning and hurried to leave the house as quickly as she could. The pain of the previous night was still with her. She wore her usual outfit, a leotard and baggy jeans, and an oversized sweatshirt. She had to talk to someone, most probably Tammy. She ran to Tammy's house, not realizing that it was only five in the morning. Not that it would matter anyway; both Tammy and Tommy would talk to her, any odd hour of the day.  
  
Artemis walked into the house without so much a knocking, it didn't matter, because Artemis was allowed to do that, even Mrs. and Mr. Duncan didn't mind, they welcomed Artemis like a daughter. She even had a spare key.  
  
Artemis ascended the stairs and headed for Tammy's room. "Tams." Artemis said, shaking her friend into the land of the living, or at lease conscious. "Tams." She repeated, and her friend stirred. "Tams, he did it again."  
  
^^^^^Okay, I was wrong, all flashbacks aren't fun^^^^^  
  
Artemis finally got out of the dorm building, with a relieved sigh. 'Thank God.' She thought and made her way to a quiet area, where, if she did get caught, she wouldn't get into too much trouble. Besides, she was the little new girl, who didn't even know when curfew was. (a/n: yeah right.)  
  
She sighed contently when she arrived at a small garden-like spot, where a huge oak tree was adding shadows to the starry night, and where several flowers grew at the base of the tree. Artemis sat down, Indian style, and clasped her hands together, and bowed her head. Her eyelashes fluttered quickly, her breathing slowed, along with the quick beating of her heart. A sigh escaped her, and then all was silent again.  
  
Artemis stayed in that position not moving or noticing anything other than the soft, though chilly, breeze, which brushed her hair into a caressing motion against her cheek. She didn't move for twenty minutes, in her deep meditation.  
  
When she opened her eyes again, she nearly screamed when she noticed that she wasn't alone. A small yelp escaped her. "Who are you?" Artemis accusingly asked the shadowed figure; angry her return to meditation was interrupted. "And why are you out here, isn't it past curfew?"  
  
"That doesn't seem to bother you." The voice shot back and Artemis could hear the grin in his voice (a/n: his as his voice was masculine, though Artemis can't really tell).  
  
"What do you want?" Artemis asked the voice.  
  
"Just to talk." The voice replied, and Rick Riley stepped into the open. "Just to talk."  
  
"I have nothing to say to you." Artemis shot back, and sidestepped him. She began running back to her dorm; one of the few places that she knew Riley couldn't follow her. There was something about him that she just didn't trust. He had the same air around him that Kenny did. Not the kind of abusive things, but the sleazy, holier-than-thou attitude that he displayed. Besides, the Ducks hated him, and wasn't that enough for Artemis? Even her twin couldn't stand him, not to mention the rest of Varsity as well.  
  
"Wait, Artemis. Why don't you want to talk to me?" Riley asked, running a hand though his hair.  
  
"I've heard enough about you, and besides, it's past curfew, and I'm going back to my dorm." Artemis answered.  
  
"You mean from your Duck friends?" Riley asked, using all his power not to make fun of the JV team. "They're just mad because of a few pranks that Varsity played on them, of course, they played their own fair share of pranks. And we let them win the Varsity, JV match. So they think that they're better than us."  
  
"I may not know the Ducks very well, but I know my brother, if they won, they won because they were good." Artemis said heatedly, defending her younger twin.  
  
"You're not talking to me because of opponents' talk. Is that how you always judge people? How other people talk about them? That's not very considerate." Riley half-laughed. Artemis sighed, he was right, though. The only reason that she really didn't want to talk to him was what the Ducks had said. She hadn't given him a chance, but Julie and Connie said that he didn't deserve one.  
  
Artemis was very confused.  
  
"Oh, alright, what do you want me to do about it?" Artemis heaved a sigh.  
  
"How about we talk, Friday, right after Varsity gets off practice?" Riley grinned.  
  
Artemis cocked an eyebrow at him, this goon was actually asking her on a date. Artemis did her best not to laugh or show any reaction actually. "If I say yes will you leave me alone?" Artemis asked exasperated, and Riley nodded with a triumphant look on his face. "Fine." Artemis added, gritting her teeth, and running into her dorm, and flinging herself on her bed not caring in the least about how loud she was being. She fell asleep quickly anyway, and if someone came in to investigate, all they would find would be three sleeping girls.  
  
~~~~  
  
Artemis avoided all of the ducks the next day; this was too confusing. She also avoided Riley and any of the other Varsities, not that she knew who they were, other than the obvious wearing of the Warriors jacket.  
  
By the time lunch rolled around, Artemis was beginning to feel very lonely. Not having the ability to talk to anyone was one thing, but essentially having people there to talk to was a new thing all on its own. Not that she would really have anything to say.  
  
  
  
Artemis was happily listening to the teacher in Biology, which seemed rather fascinating, when a note was sailed to her desk without the teacher, a kind woman by the name of Carol Blackstock, so much as blinking. Artemis seized the note, and pulled it into her lap before unfolding it.  
  
**  
  
Hey,  
  
You're new, aren't you? I haven't seen you around.  
  
Welcome to Eden Hell, oops, I mean Hall. My name's  
  
Linda. Talk after class?  
  
TTFN,  
  
Lin.  
  
**  
  
Artemis turned her head to search for the sender of the note, and her eyes met with a girl who had chestnut colored hair, and light blue eyes, who was smiling. Artemis smiled back and nodded and Linda, the other girl, smiled wider.  
  
'Cool.' Artemis smiled inwardly, finally, a friend who wasn't a jock, or someone who would care who she hung out with. Artemis continued to take notes from Ms. Blackstock, and waited patiently for the end of class.  
  
  
  
"Hey!" Linda said brightly, adjusting her backpack as she spoke.  
  
"Hi. Well, you're right. I am new." Artemis smiled. "My name's Artemis, but you can find some strange and/or interesting nickname for it. Everyone else has. Sketch being the most recent, Art being the oldest."  
  
"Nice to meet you. Either call me Linda or Lin, because I don't think that there are too many nicknames you can come up with for Linda." Lin smiled. Artemis shrugged back. "Hey, you have first lunch, right?"  
  
Artemis nodded. "Do you?" Linda nodded back. "Oh. I was supposed to sit with my brother, but I'll see him later, how about we sit together?" Artemis offered, and Linda smiled back.  
  
"Okay, that works." Linda and Artemis headed off for the Cafeteria.  
  
"Hey, Lin, how come you called it Eden Hell?" Artemis asked.  
  
"Because that's exactly what it is. I hate it here. But I want the education so I'm stuck with actually having to be here." Lin answered.  
  
"Yeah, that happens." Artemis smirked back and the two got to the cafeteria. To Artemis's bewilderment, Lin headed for the Ducks' table. "Hey guys." Artemis greeted the table with a little wave.  
  
"Hey Art! So, how boring is school yet?" Adam asked, grinning.  
  
"Well, I think I may have actually have learned something." Artemis answered.  
  
"That bad?" Kenny laughed, and Artemis fake-scowled at him, then stuck out her tongue.  
  
"These were the guys you were supposed to sit with, Sketch?" Lin asked Artemis surprised. "But I though that you said that you had to sit with your brother. I'm confused."  
  
Artemis smiled back at her in a semi-reassuring way. "Get used to it. Let me fully introduce myself. My name is Artemis Lana Janine Banks. I'm the star Adam Banks' older, by three minutes and forty-four seconds, twin. And I actually thought that you weren't one of the jocks."  
  
"I'm not." Lin replied, proudly. "I'm not a jock at all. Charlie's my boyfriend. I don't even like jocks usually, but these guys slipped by." The Ducks laughed sarcastically at Linda, and the two took their seats.  
  
Suddenly Averman turned to Kenny. "Hey! That's new. How come you've actually got a lunch today? Isn't half the Varsity team eating it by now?"  
  
"Usually." Kenny replied shrugging. "But why look a gift horse in the mouth?" Artemis looked between Averman and Kenny for a moment before returning her gaze to her lunch.  
  
"Though it is too bad. I stopped packing lunches worth eating." Kenny grinned slyly at them, causing several of the other Ducks to laugh.  
  
"Here, have some of this." Artemis offered, her lips turned upwards at the corners, and she launched a spoonful of chocolate pudding at Ken, who gaped back when the globs of pudding splattered all over his black shit. Artemis sat across from him, giggling uncontrollably. Kenny grinned evilly, and then grabbed someone's container of applesauce (he wasn't sure of whose it actually was) and he hurled it back at Artemis.  
  
The applesauce landed in her hair and she shrieked, shaking her head full force, trying to remove it. Applesauce was flying everywhere.  
  
"Hey!" Linda cried loudly, and began rubbing applesauce from her eyes. Charlie took her rebound shot, but he missed Artemis, and instead Adam ended up with ketchup all over his face.  
  
"That's it!' Adam laughed, and he grabbed a handful of mashed potatoes, and he tossed them in the general direction of Charlie, but Russ, Averman, Kenny, Connie, and Dwayne also got hit.  
  
Soon, a full-blown food fight was about, and many teachers were hopelessly trying to find the source. They eventually gave up and surrounding everyone they could get to (without being hit by flying food) and began handing out detention slips. Luckily for the Ducks, they were in the center of the havoc and there was no way that the teachers could reach them. But it also meant that they were getting absolutely covered with food.  
  
By the time they got out of there, they were all drenched with food. Connie, Julie, and Artemis all ran for their dorm so they could change. And the rest of the Ducks (and Linda) all went to change, as well.  
  
~~~~  
  
It wasn't until she went into her World Geography class that Artemis noticed that her favorite notebook, and underlying sketchbook were both sticky, and though they both were black, they seemed darker than usual. She ran her finger down the notebook, and then examined her finger. It was crimson.  
  
"Oh my God, Artemis." Kenny Wu, one of the three Ducks that accompanied her in the class cried out. "Art, you're bleeding everywhere. Artemis looked down, and true to Kenny's word, her once light blue shirt, and white skirt were now both dark with blood. "Mr. Harvey!"  
  
The teacher of the class, Mr. Harvey, hence that's what Ken called him, looked up, and jumped, startled at the sight of Artemis. "My God! Get her to the nurse. Now!"  
  
Kenny nodded back, and Dean Portman, who was one of the Ducks in the class, picked her up easily. Charlie and Guy followed the three (Kenny, Artemis, and Dean) out of the room. "Dean, put me down. I know how to walk." Artemis pleaded, embarrassed to be carried through the hallways like a child.  
  
"No, you shouldn't walk it would just bleed more." Charlie objected, and led the way for the Ducks to the nurses.  
  
  
  
"Artemis?" The nurse asked shocked. "Oh dear, what happened?"  
  
"I'm not sure, exactly." Kenny answered. "One minute, we're all just sitting in World Geography, the next I look at her, and she's the blood lady. We just carried her here."  
  
"It's not much." Artemis said, with a small shrug of her shoulders. "I think one of my cuts opened, that's all."  
  
"That's all?" The nurse asked skeptically. "You know as well as I, that that's not all. Well, you have to stay here for a while. If you're not out of here by morning you'll be released tomorrow. Now, you're going to lay down young lady, and let me work on you without moving or objecting. First of all, I'm going to bandage your wound. Then I'm going to hook you up to some blood, because believe it or not, you don't have much left.  
  
"Thank you, boys for bringing her in, but I think that I can handle it. One of you may stay, and I'll keep you updated, the rest should go back to class. You can talk later, I'd guess."  
  
"I'll stay." Kenny offered. "You guys, someone go and find Adam and tell him what's up."  
  
The three nodded back and headed out of the nurses office. Portman and Charlie headed one way, and Guy discretely went the other.  
  
Since all of the ducks had previously compared their schedules, Guy had a vague idea of where Adam was that period. Yes, he did. It was the classroom next to Connie's. As if he could forget where Connie was. (a/n: I like Guy, he's probably my favorite character {uh, maybe}, but I don't like the way her waits hand and foot on Connie. The girl can take care of herself.)  
  
Guy went to the mathematics hallway (a/n: at my school we actually have marked halls social studies, languages, English, etc, so I'm going by my school, and we live in the smallest town that I've ever been too, were not on maps, we're so small, and we have the hallways, so so do they. =)) and counted down the number of classrooms. He knocked nervously on the door, and an unsmiling woman with blue-gray hair opened it.  
  
"May I help you?" She asked, crossly, in a nasal voice.  
  
"Yes, ma'am. My name is Guy Germaine, and I need to speak with Adam Banks. It's an emergency." Guy said politely, hoping that the woman wouldn't ask any questions, but his hopes were more or less destroyed.  
  
"What kind of emergency?" She asked, deeply suspicious of the teen before her.  
  
"His sister was badly injured, and is at the nurse's office. She needs to talk to him." Guy answered quietly.  
  
"Very well. Adam, come here." She motioned for Adam to come to the door. He was surprised to see Guy, as the teacher was excellently blocking the doorway.  
  
"Hey, Guy. What's up?" Adam asked; his brow furrowed in curiosity. Guy wasn't a bad student, he wouldn't be hanging around to get Adam out of class and into trouble unless **something** was up.  
  
"Artemis." Guy answered, and Adam turned jogged to pack and grabbed his stuff, and ran out of the classroom without even saying goodbye to his teacher.  
  
"What happened to Art?" Adam asked, as Guy led the way to the office.  
  
"Damned if I know, Cake Eater." Guy shrugged back. "One minute, we're all in Biology. Ken says something, I'm not sure what, then calls out to the teacher. Half the class looks, and Artemis is almost completely covered in blood, stomach down. Dean runs over, picks her up, and Kenny, me, and Charlie follow them out. Apparently the nurse knows what's going on. Kenny stayed with her, and I went to get you. I should get back to class, though. Let me know what's up." Guy said, and headed back down to his classroom.  
  
~~~~  
  
"What's your name?" The nurse asked Ken Wu, who answered her question accordingly. "Your relation to Miss Banks?"  
  
"Friend." Kenny answered simply, and Adam Banks walked in, somewhat short of breath. "Hey, Adam."  
  
"Hi Ken." Adam said with a half smile. "Hello Mrs. . . ." Adam drifted off, realizing that he had no clue what the nurse's name was.  
  
"Peterson, but you can call me Angie. That's beside the point, are you here for Miss Banks as well?" Angie inquired.  
  
Adam nodded. "Yeah, I'm her brother. I'm Adam. What's up? Guy was vague."  
  
"You have been informed of her home life, I'm assured?" The nurse asked. Adam nodded mutely. "Well, that makes my life a bit simpler. Well, in all honesty, she really needs to be in a hospital. She's lost so much blood, and whether she likes it or not, she's frail. She's strong spirited, but there's only so much that will do. I'm registering her into the general hospital of the area. Don't worry about the bills or anything. I'll take care of all that. Your stepfather won't find out, I can promise that.  
  
"She'll be in a lot of pain for a while. In truth, I think she's been in a pain for so long, she doesn't even register it anymore. She should be okay. I think that both me and Artemis would feel slightly better, if you and your friends help her with this. If it's just me, she'll completely against the whole thing. She'll tell me that she's able to handle it. In fact, that's what she told me last time that she came to see me."  
  
Adam nodded his agreement. "That sounds like Art."  
  
"Well, you guys might as well go for now. She's out of it. I gave her some painkillers, and she's sleeping like a baby, she won't be up and about for at least a little while. I'll get in contact with one of you at some point after she wakes up."  
  
~~~~  
  
=-=-=-=-=-= Thursday Morning =-=-=-=-=-=  
  
"I am not going to practice." Connie told her pillow, as Julie almost put effort into waking her friend for 5 a.m. practice.  
  
"I don't care where you're going, just as long as you wake up. I'm not going to be the only girl out there who has to suffer, so don't even kid." Julie answered, and threw something in the general direction of Connie, she had absolutely no clue what, and it fell to the floor with the sound of papers scattering, and upon opening her eyes, that's exactly what Julie saw. "Help me pick this stuff up, Cons."  
  
"Why should I?" Connie asked irritated. "You're the one who threw it at me."  
  
"Yeah, but only because you wouldn't wake up when I asked you nicely. Besides, you're up now, you might as well help some."  
  
Connie growled something under her breath, and proceeded to help Julie pick up the paper. "Whoa." Connie gasped, looking down at the paper. It was a drawing of Adam, and it was perfect, down to the semi-serious, semi-wistful look in his eyes. She turned it over, and found in impossibly neat and tiny cursive writing, a letter on a piece of paper, that was taped to the back.  
  
It read:  
  
September 12  
  
They sent me away a few days ago. I'm not surprised. Relieved  
  
if anything, but there's not much that I can do. Dad doesn't want  
  
me either, but that's no surprise. Who would want me?  
  
Sometimes I can't help but believe them when they say that  
  
I'm just a waste of space.  
  
Then there's Helios, but he's Adam now. Ashamed of his name.  
  
I feel like I'm drowning here at Eden Hall Academy. There's no one  
  
to talk to. No one to confide in. I have two roommates, now.  
  
Connie and Julie. I don't think that Julie likes me all that much, but I think  
  
that they're both pretty nice, but I can't tell them.  
  
They'd just treat me like a freak. A reject. So, they're  
  
Helios' friends. That doesn't make a difference. As much as they're  
  
different from the rest of the snobs here, they're almost exactly the same.  
  
They're all caught up in their own little world.  
  
They think that they, and their friends, are the only truly good people  
  
to hang out with. Granted they have better attitude towards me at least,  
  
they're still with themselves, and only that.  
  
Kenny, the name makes me absolutely shudder, but why wouldn't it?  
  
Helios has a friend named Kenny. Kenny Wu.  
  
Kenny's pretty nice, and he's completely different than my  
  
so-called-stepfather. He helped me find my room, and then my brother.  
  
I don't know but I think that I like him. He's kind of cute. Oh listen  
  
to me, I sound like . . . eww. I'm not even going to think about it.  
  
Well, since I'm running out of room, I should go.  
  
By the way, the infection on my shoulder isn't getting better. Well,  
  
I'll be back. I hope.  
  
--Artemis L. J. Banks  
  
Connie turned the paper back over, to look at Adam again. "It's her diary. I can't believe you threw her diary."  
  
"What?" Julie asked, and looked up at Connie sharply.  
  
"Julie. It's Artemis's diary. The whole thing that you threw. She draws pictures on one side and on the other side she writes an entry. It's her diary."  
  
"Uh oh. She writes dates on them, right? We can put them back in order without her ever knowing about it." Julie answered.  
  
"But that's total invasion of her privacy." Connie answered. "But I guess that it would be worse if we just left them lying everywhere. Let's hurry up."  
  
"Yeah." Julie agreed, and began to pick up more of the pictures that had scattered. "Cons, look at this one. It's of Dwayne, Averman, and Luis. It's hysterical." Julie showed Connie the picture. It was funny. Dwayne was grinning, as he usually did, and was tipping his hat slightly. Luis was rolling his eyes, but was still smilling. Averman was crossing his eyes and grinning like a jester, in fact, he was wearing a jester's hat. "She's good."  
  
"Yep." Connie agreed, then turned to pick up more paper. Curiosity drove Julie to turn the paper over.  
  
September 13  
  
I had to tell them. Connie was brushing my hair, and told me to go change.  
  
Stupid hood got in the way. I told them to promise to not tell  
  
Helios, but they did anyway. Some trustworthy people. I know  
  
that they only did it to help me, but having Helios fussing all over me  
  
isn't going to do much in the helping category.  
  
I was right about Julie not liking me, I think. She was nice enough to tell the  
  
guys to not mess around with me, but she's not speaking to me  
  
now. I'm guessing that that's for the best though.  
  
I don't want her to get caught up in my life, too. That's just one more person  
  
that won't get hurt by me. So I can't be mad. Connie seems more  
  
understanding, but I think that I hurt her feelings too.  
  
I'm like a human wrecking ball, everywhere I go; I cause damage.  
  
I don't know how to handle this. I don't know how to have  
  
friends. I think that Helios is either going to kill Kenny  
  
or call the police. I hope that he doesn't do either. I hope he doesn't  
  
call the police for my mom's, his, all his friends, and maybe even my own sake.  
  
Maybe. I hope he doesn't try to kill himself for his own sake. Kenny wouldn't  
  
hesitate to hurt Helios. I don't think that Kenny would ever intentionally  
  
kill anyone but killing and hurting are two very different things.  
  
I'm still confused. I think I'm going to cry. That would definitely  
  
be a new experience, since I haven't cried in . . .well, too long for me to  
  
remember correctly, anyway. Well, I'm off. I've decided to go to the  
  
nurse. As much as I don't like it. My friends are right. I mean, Helios's friends  
  
are right. I'll be surprised if they even look at me again.  
  
The picture is of Luis Mendoza, Lester Averman, and Dwayne Robertson. I think  
  
that they're all funny. I also think that I made a bit of a bad impression on Luis.  
  
Well. He made fun of Helios's name, and not one of his friends even thought to  
  
stick up for him so I did it. It actually made me think. If they wouldn't defend him  
  
for his name, what's stopping them from defending him on a different level.  
  
Helios told me that he made Varsity, in an e-mail, but that his friends  
  
weren't exactly the kind, loving, and compassionate people that they should've  
  
been. I hope that I can understand that and everything. I hope that  
  
even if all chance with befriending the Ducks are dead, that I can at least have  
  
one friend at this school. I don't want to be alone anymore.  
  
--Artemis L. J. Banks  
  
Julie was taken aback. She suddenly saw Artemis under a new light. She had been through so much, and she just really wanted a friend. Well, Julie was going to be a friend to Artemis whether Artemis liked it or not.  
  
  
  
(a/n: Okay, that's it for this chapter. More stuff will happen next time, including [maybe I'm not sure yet] more journal entries, and a game, and Artemis, and just everything! Have some fun =) Well, I really, really hope that I get some reviews this time, b/c I've only got two (thanks Icebox and Iz, I luv u guys)(no, I'm not counting my own) for chapter two. Six, for chapter one. I really want at least thirteen before I post chapter four (that's only four more. Well, please review, and I hope you enjoy.) 


	4. Chapter 4.

(a/n: I'm ba-ack. As if you could've gotten rid of me that easily. I'm insulted! Well, read on faithful comrades, keep reviewing, because if you don't . . . well, there's a good chance that my feelings will be hurt. **sob**)  
  
(Further a/n: All apologies, Digital Tempest. Yes, you did review chapter two, and I hope I posted chapter 3 quickly enough for you. =)  
  
And to Genki (I like your sn): Yes, I know in real mythology Artemis and Apollo are twins, but I just like the name Helios more, and besides Helios is the true god of the sun. Apollo just drives the chariot, and no you didn't sound mean, and I hope that I don't, cuz I don't mean to be. Well, goodnight y'all.)  
  
Chapter 4.  
  
Artemis was in a state of pure resentment when she got back to Eden Hall on Thursday afternoon. She woke in a hospital. That meant they knew it all. After all she'd done to keep it secret. They all knew. Her own brother and his friends had turned her in. What could she do now? She didn't really have anywhere else to turn. If they all knew, good chance Kenny would find out. Where was she going to go now?  
  
As soon as Artemis got back to her dorm (after two days of being hooked up to I.V. lines, and getting other people's blood pumped into her) she began to pack, frantically throwing everything that she owned into a duffle bag.  
  
"Artemis? What are you doing?" Connie asked curiously walking into the bedroom, leaving the bathroom. "Why are you packing?"  
  
"I'm leaving." Artemis answered softly, gently pushing her journal into her bag. "I've got to go." Artemis could plainly see the confusion on Connie's face. "I've been at the hospital. Don't you know what that means? That means that they know. That means that they all know. If I don't leave I'll just get you guys into trouble. There's been enough trouble. I've got to leave before he comes. He'll come to get me. Don't you understand, Connie?"  
  
"Artemis. I think you're just a bit hysterical." Connie said, worry flashing through her dark eyes.  
  
"Me, hysterical? I'm not meaning to be if I am. I just want to get out of here. I'm scared." Artemis continued rapidly.  
  
"Artemis." Connie spoke kindly "Don't worry about it, no one knows. Not even the doctors. I promise. The nurse took care of everything. They don't know a thing. They think that you were in a car accident, as far as I've been told. Just calm down, and unpack. You don't have to go anywhere."  
  
Artemis sighed and sat down. "This isn't fair. It was better back home. At least there I understood what was going on. Here, everything's just a big jumble. What am I supposed to do?"  
  
"I don't know." Connie answered solemnly. "Just remember we're all here for you and if you can't talk to us, talk to Adam. He loves you, you know?"  
  
"I know. But this is all so confusing." Artemis said, shaking her head softly.  
  
"I know." Connie replied softly. "Hey, do you want to come to our practice? Ken will be there." Connie smiled mischievously.  
  
"Ken? Why would I want to go to your practice because Ken's there?" Artemis asked hastily.  
  
"Oh, come on, Artemis, do you think that I'm that dense. With the whole skating thing? You like him." Connie accused. Artemis blushed, and shook her head in objection. "Don't be silly. I know about these things."  
  
"How? Because it takes one to know one?" Artemis asked back, causing Connie to blush darkly. "Sure, Cons. Now, let's get to that rink. Practice."  
  
Connie nodded, her blush clearing. "You do know that you're evil, right?"  
  
"Thank you." Artemis answered, and the two headed for the ice rink, but not before Artemis grabbed her sketchbook. Connie noticed that she also brought it to classes with her.  
  
~~~~  
  
Artemis was drawing a picture of Fulton and Portman checking Charlie (which had actually just happened in the scrimmage) when someone laid a hand on her wounded shoulder. She jumped nearly a foot in the air. She turned to face Riley and several of the other Varsity. "Yes?" She asked.  
  
"So, we're still on for tomorrow, right?" Riley asked.  
  
"Yeah, as long as you stay out of my hair. I'm busy. I'll talk to you tomorrow." Artemis answered, and several of the Varsity team members laughed and the group left, Riley winking back at her. Artemis rolled her eyes and continued her picture. In truth, Artemis forgot all about it, and she desperately wished that Riley had forgotten about it, as well. Or that she hadn't been tricked into the date at all.  
  
Artemis soon finished the picture with satisfaction. Even the look of good- humored pain in Charlie's eyes, and the look of triumph on Portman and Fulton's faces. It was priceless. She flipped the paper, and began to watch the game to find her next subject. Connie passing the puck to Guy, Guy going for the goal, and faking, then passing the puck to Dwayne who shot the goal and scored with a yee-haw. Artemis couldn't help but grin at his enthusiasm.  
  
Ken retrieved the puck, after Goldberg shot it out, he passed it, but it was intercepted by Adam, Adam passed it to Averman, but Luis got it and took a breakaway, shooting to the other side of the rink, he crashed into Julie, but their side was rewarded a point anyhow.  
  
Julie scowled at Luis, who shrugged, and Artemis laughed. Kenny just avoided being checked by Charlie by ducking (no pun intended) and spinning out of the way, and Artemis began to draw it. She always felt like a huge weight lifted off of her shoulders when she drew. There wasn't any sensation like it in the world. She could draw for days on end if she had to, and be perfectly fine.  
  
The picture was finished quickly. Since Kenny's face was a profile, and Charlie wasn't looking toward Artemis at all, the picture wasn't hard.  
  
Artemis was getting rather sick of drawing hockey, though. Even if the subjects were fun to draw. Coach O'Rion was her next target. He wasn't wearing any hockey gear; so it would be more fun to draw . . . . . . . Twenty minutes later, and unable to contain herself, Artemis drew horns on the Coach's head and a tail curling up his shoulder. She giggled uncontrollably for a moment, but left them there. She had decided on giving it to one of the Ducks. Not Charlie, though. He's probably take offense or something.  
  
The scrimmage was over, and one side or the other won. Artemis wasn't paying too much attention. She was drawing too much. She applauded anyhow and began to leave, before she realize that practice wasn't over, so she took her seat.  
  
The team threw off their helmets, and began laps. Coach O'Rion and Charlie both encouraged them to go faster. Artemis hopped up, and threw on her skates. She was bored. She slid onto the ice and joined the ducks in their laps, hoping O'Rion wouldn't catch her.  
  
She nearly gave Adam a heart attack when she latched onto his sides. "Hey bro'!" She said gripping onto him a little tighter.  
  
"Having fun?" Adam asked her, half grinning, but Artemis shook her head in an outright life. "Guess I'll have to go faster then." Adam sped up as much as he could, which, in truth, wasn't much because he was already tired from the scrimmage, but Artemis laughed. She let go of Adam, which sent her flying across the room. Artemis crashed into a wall, but she hopped up and continued skating. "Owe." She grinned.  
  
"That had to hurt." Connie laughed when she found herself at Artemis's side.  
  
"Well. Yeah, actually, it did." Artemis shrugged, speeding up some. "But I'll live. Hey Cons, do you think I'll get in trouble for skating these laps with you."  
  
"I doubt it, Artemis." Connie replied, and then pursed her lips, thinking for a moment. "Kenny isn't here, so why don't you try to play hockey?"  
  
"That's easy. If I was to get checked hard I wouldn't be able to get up." Artemis answered with another shrug, as if the answer was completely obvious.  
  
"Well, then. We'd better make sure you don't get checked uh?" Said a deeper voice. Coach O'Rion was right behind them.  
  
"No way! I can't play hockey!" Artemis objected quickly.  
  
"Sure you can. And right now we'll figure out what position you play. "DUCKS! TAKE A KNEE!" O'Rion yelled. Artemis was a bit surprised when all the Ducks surrounded the Coach, kneeling on a knee. "We're going to try Artemis out for the team. We don't know what position she plays. So we're going to find out."  
  
"Go Artemis!" Adam laughed, and similar cheers came from the rest of the Ducks.  
  
"I want to let you all know how much I hate you. I don't want to play.' Artemis groaned.  
  
"Oh relax. You'll love it." Charlie grinned. Adam laughed under his breath. That was so a Charlie thing to do. Just because he worshipped hockey he expected everyone to do the same.  
  
"Charlie, calm down. Some one get her suited up." Coach O'Rion laughed. Connie and Julie nodded and each grabbed one of Artemis's arms and pulled her to an equipment room.  
  
~~  
  
"I feel like an idiot." Artemis giggled from beneath her pads.  
  
"Yeah, well, now you feel like you look!" Adam teased.  
  
"Little brothers are so annoying." Artemis groaned, then turned to Ken ignoring Adams cry of 'Who're you calling Little?!' "Ken, you have got to tell me how you managed to skate with all these pads!"  
  
Ken shrugged. "Practice, maybe. I don't know."  
  
"A lot of help you are." Artemis spoke, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Thanks!" Ken answered with a cheeky grin, leaving Artemis to roll her eyes again.  
  
"Don't your eyes get tired of that?" Averman asked, smiling mischievously. Artemis laughed dryly, and put on her helmet and slid onto the ice. She skated a few circles to get used to the pads and once she nodded to Coach O'Rion to signal that she was ready. The coach nodded his approval, and they began.  
  
~~  
  
The next hour was spent seeing what position Artemis was good at, and she played defense fairly well, and couldn't play goalie in the least. She was good with offense (mostly. She wasn't exactly enforcer material) but center was her best, so that was what she was assigned to play. (no, really?) She actually got second line, and a lot of support from her teammates. Artemis finally broke down and agreed to play.  
  
O'Rion faithfully delivered his defense speech to Artemis, who zoned out fro most of it. She had learned to look like she was paying attention while she wasn't over the year with living with her mother and Kenny. "Thanks, Coach." Artemis replied when the coach stopped yakking. Before he could even open his mouth again, Artemis was gone. The moment she got to her dorm she began to draw her journal entry for the night . . .  
  
****  
  
September 14  
  
Today the guys made me try out for hockey. Yeah. Hockey. I told  
  
them that I don't want to play, but that doesn't make a difference to them.  
  
I guess that they just really either want to be friends, or they  
  
really want me to play. For some reason, I don' think they want me to play.  
  
I ended up playing center, second line. They're telling me it's good.  
  
I'd be perfectly happy just ice-skating, but I'll just stick with it . . .for now.  
  
Today's picture is of Kenny Wu.  
  
Adam really wants me to play. He told me so, today, in the locker room,  
  
a bit after practice. I'm not exactly sure if I can play. I don't want the whole  
  
school finding out about me. So far, only the Ducks know, and I know that  
  
they won't hold it against me, or anything. But I'm not ready  
  
for more people to know. And I sincerely doubt that they would be able to  
  
handle it.  
  
On a slightly more depressing note, I had another nightmare last night. I  
  
haven't had one in ages, but if they come back full force I'll never get  
  
enough sleep to study. And I really need to.  
  
For some reason, I just have this feeling in the pit of my stomach, that something  
  
major has happened. And I really want to know what it is.  
  
Oh, god, now I have ESP. Well, I'd better just not think about it. I have school in  
  
the morning.  
  
--Artemis L. J. Banks  
  
Artemis closed her journal with a sigh. This was one of her least depressing entries so far . . .  
  
  
  
~~~~  
  
'Just because I said I'd meet him doesn't mean that I'll go to his game. Besides. I've got to play.' Artemis mentally reassured herself as Julie braided her hair.  
  
"I wish I had your hair." Connie spoke enviously, breaking through Artemis's train of though, while eyeing the prized hair in Julie's hands.  
  
"You can have it. It's such a hassle, I have to get you guys to braid it. It's so long!" Artemis whined and smiled when she knew that Julie was done. "Thanks Julie!" Artemis beamed and Julie gave Artemis a smile of her own.  
  
"Anytime. So let's go. Let's play some hockey!" Julie smiled and Artemis, Connie, and Julie headed down to the rink. It was a home game, so they weren't really worried about being too late.  
  
~~  
  
"You're late." Guy pointed out blandly once the three girls got there.  
  
"Almost." Connie grinned and the girls were ready in a snap.  
  
"Why can't y'all girls be ready that fast when you're goin' out?" Dwayne asked innocently, and Julie threw a shoe at him. "Hey!"  
  
"Hey guys is everyone ready?" Charlie asked a chorus of yeses and yeahs echoed from around him in response.  
  
"Guys?" Came a new voice, when someone walked in.  
  
"Coach?' Sever people exclaimed. "Coach Bombay, why are you here?" Portman added.  
  
"I just stopped b for a visit, and to ask you a question. And to see you guys win a game, of course." Gordon Bombay answered.  
  
"Well, you picked a good game to stop by on. Our newest player is showing everyone what she's got." Charlie grinned, shaking hands with Bombay.  
  
"Really? A new player? A girl?" Bombay asked; his curiosity piqued.  
  
"Yep. Her name is Artemis." Adam answered, smiling rather proudly.  
  
"Where is she?" Bombay asked, eager to meet the new duck.  
  
"I'm right here." A soft voice answered from near Kenny and Dwayne. Artemis walked up to the Coach with her helmet under her arm. She wasn't exactly smiling, but her eyes were bright. "Artemis Lana Janine at your service."  
  
"Coach Gordon Bombay." Bombay answered, and the two shook hands after Artemis pulled off her glove. "How'd you get onto the Ducks halfway through the season?"  
  
"Bad luck?" Artemis spoke in a whisper with a dry laugh and a shrug.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I don't play hockey, Mr. Bombay. But Coach O'Rion asked me to try out, so I did." Artemis replied and Bombay nodded in understanding.  
  
"Hey Coach, what was your question?" Charlie asked, and everyone turned their attention to Bombay, curious to see what he had to say.  
  
"Well, how do you guys feel about a reunion? All the original Ducks, even Coach McKay, Yan (sp? Not Hans, his brother who was in the second movie), and Mr. Tibbles will be there. You're welcome to come too, Artemis. O'Rion and myself, too. What do you say? And it better be yes. We've been planning this for near two months." The Ducks all looked at each other, grinning.  
  
"Naaah!" They shouted together. Bombay looked at them feigning annoyance, but then burst out laughing. "Of course, then. I'll just tell them that you don't want to see them." Bombay shrugged, and laughed again when they all objected. The Ducks joined him in the laughed (all except Artemis) and they flooded past him and out the lock room doors.  
  
~~  
  
"And here's the first face off. Number 41 for the Ducks and number 27 for the Devils. And the puck is dropped and Janine easily handles the puck within a second and shoots it to Conway, and man! She high-tailed it outta there!" (As to not get Adam and Artemis confused I'm calling Adam Banks, and Artemis is going by Janine.) Artemis tuned out the announcer. She didn't have time to concentrate on him. She had to make sure that no one checked her, and that she followed the puck. She was doing just that, well, to the best of her ability, when to her utter shock that she found the puck right in front of her stick. She faked a shot, which the goalie dived after, and she passed it to Germaine, and he shot and made it.  
  
After a team hug and a cheer, they were off again.  
  
Artemis quickly found out why the Devils were called the name they were called. They were vicious. They tripped, checked, and did everything that they possibly could the harm the Ducks and get the puck. Yes, that was the main objective to hockey, but they were dreadfully extreme.  
  
Artemis did a good job ducking and swerving around the devils (several times with possession of the puck) but the Ducks hadn't scored another goal. Eleven minutes after the first face off, the score was 1:0.  
  
~~  
  
Artemis took a big swig of water as she sat down on the bench. She pulled off her gloves and helmet, and pushed back her frizzled hair, which was glistening with sweat. "I can't move." She said with embellishment to Russ Tyler who just nodded back and laughed.  
  
"I know."  
  
Artemis rolled her eyes. "Where are my words of wisdom?"  
  
Russ shrugged.  
  
"Thanks a lot."  
  
"No problem."  
  
"Ouy va."  
  
~~  
  
Artemis was back on the ice, and the score hadn't changed. Banks took the face off and was quickly knocked to the floor. The opposing Devil went off with t he puck and was hit by Fulton and Portman.  
  
Artemis got the puck and shot it to Averman, who then sailed it to Mendoza, who then, on a breakaway, got checked. Apparently the ref didn't notice because he was trying to not get hit by several of the Devils and Ducks. Artemis popped off her helmet and got to Luis's side as quickly as she could. She carefully, so as not to jar him, took his helmet off, too. "Luis. Luis? Mendoza! Are you okay?" Luis just groaned. "Conway! Get over here!" Artemis called.  
  
Charlie skated over from working defense, having Dwayne take over that. "Luis?"  
  
"Yeah, Luis. He got checked hard, but the ref didn't catch it. We have to get him off the ice." Artemis replied. Charlie nodded, then tried to call the ref to his attention, but the ref was too busy with trying to see what was going on at the other end of the rink. Artemis knelt down by his head. "Luis, wake up. Can you hear me?"  
  
"Yes." Luis answered in a moan. "I hurt all over."  
  
"Good." Artemis smiled and nodded to Charlie, and the two helped him off the ice and to the medic, who was off to the side.  
  
Artemis sated over to O'Rion and informed him that they were a man down. O'Rion but Ken out, and the two skated off. The last face off of the game was beginning. This time the Devils got the puck, and the checking began again.  
  
Player after player (More like Duck after Duck after Devil after Duck after Duck after Duck . . .) went down. Portman, Fulton, and Goldberg tried to even the odds a bit, but three enforcers against a team of them doesn't even anything out.  
  
Artemis and Kenny were whirling in rather idiotic, though effective, circles trying to not be A. smashed or B. hooked while actually A. getting the puck, B. scoring, and C. distracting the Devils all the while. It wasn't working. The Devils presently tried to squash them even more.  
  
One of them, apparently number 64, decided that he was the big evil baddy of the Devils, and checked both Kenny and Artemis at the same time. The ref blew his whistle. Two minutes in the penalty box. A few seconds later, however, most everyone realized that Artemis wasn't getting up. She was right. She wasn't going to get up if she was checked.  
  
Kenny was kneeling by her side, his helmet and gloves off. Adam was next to him in a second. "Artemis. Art. Wake up. Please, wake up." Kenny looked up at Adam, his gaze leaving Artemis's closed eyes. This was the first time that he'd seen Adam so . . . not in control. He was nearly frantic. He was patting Artemis's cheek. Her eyelids fluttered once, but then settled.  
  
A medic came over quickly, and nodded to the ref. Number 64 was put out of the game. Adam and the medic took Artemis out, and Kenny, following one more worried glance, returned to the bench. He was only slightly dazed by the 'love tap' he'd been supplied.  
  
~~  
  
The Ducks won. 2:0. After the game, they set out to check on Luis and Artemis, neither of whom returned to the game at any point, although Adam did.  
  
When they did find them, both Luis and Artemis were up, amazingly enough, and holding a conversation, and laughing at something one or the other had said. "Hey guys!" Artemis greeted her team through a giggle. "You have no idea how crazy this guy is." She added, motioning towards Luis who nodded back, still laughing. "Well, I've got to go. Or I'll probably be killed, just kidding Sun boy, calm down, but I do have to go."  
  
"Uh . . .okay. Bye Art, are you sure you're okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. I think I fainted." Artemis answered her brother with a shrug. "Something with my brain, or one of those other things I can't control. The nurse said it was subconscious. Bye!" She kissed her brother on the cheek and left.  
  
"Anyone else confused?" Charlie asked. Everyone raised his or her hand, except Luis, who was still chuckling inattentively.  
  
~~  
  
'Let's just get this over with.' Artemis told herself, and she headed out to meet Rick Riley.  
  
(a/n: sorry that this took so long to get out, but now I'm not allowed to go on-line during school nights, but since it's Friday I'm able to come on. I absolutely stink at writing hockey games [probably because I don't know much about hockey :p] but I'll work on it. I promise. I really hope you like this, 'cause if you don't . . .oops. Well, please review.) 


	5. Chapter 5. Artemis's Past.

(a/n: Chapter Five, here I come. Thank you all my reviewers (I was going to say Loyal Reviewers, but who would I be kidding, other than myself?) Well . . . anyway. I think I'd like to 'specially thank Icebox, because you've reviewed every single chapter, and you're so nice about it! THANK YOU! Because I'm in a really good mood (I just saw The Green Mile and cried for a half hour, you've gotta see that movie, peeps) I'm going to dedicate this chapter to three people: Icebox, 'cause you're that special =), My best-friend Jackie Hotaru Hunt, LYLAS gurl! And lastly to my other best friend Bryan Tomas, who is currently in his gazillionth surgery to try to remove another tumor that he got in addition to his leukemia. I love you, Bryan Tomas. Get better!  
  
(And peace, love, and everything to everyone, especially those who have lost loved ones)  
  
Chapter 5.  
  
Artemis was ready to kill Riley within a half hour. He was driving her crazy. He was saying exactly the right things, he had a sense of humor (strange as it was, it was there), and he was being the perfect date, and Artemis was going flat-out insane. She'd rather have his stuttering, holding her hand in his sweaty palm, and have him being shy. As if he actually liked her. But rather, he was being like the usual jock. Overconfident and demanding. Every jock is created this way, but it just made Artemis mad that he was doing something like that on a date.  
  
But she wasn't going to say anything. Just because he was as annoying as all Hell, she wasn't going to make him mad. She was still scared of that slimy attitude.  
  
The two had gone to see a movie and out for something to eat. It was well near midnight, and well past curfew when the two started to head back. By that time, Artemis only had one good memory of the evening. She told him that she joined the JV hockey team, and he started choking on his French fries. It was a golden moment. Artemis wished that she brought a camera.  
  
But when he finished choking, he just stuttered that he was glad for her. He was a bit less than convincing for Art. But it didn't matter. She hoped that he wouldn't want to go out with her anymore because of that.  
  
  
  
When the two got out to the parking lot, neither Riley nor Artemis left the car quickly. Artemis was waiting for Riley, and Riley didn't want to leave. He leaned over and tried to kiss Artemis (a/n: with a hefty 'Yuck!' from me), but she quickly turned her head and he ended up kissing her cheek. Artemis randomly felt around behind her for the door handle. She tumbled out of the door backwards, her purse falling, and opening, its contents scattering everywhere.  
  
"Great. Just great." She muttered sarcastically and began to pick up what she could reach without moving and replacing in the purse. She finished everything within arms' reach, but when she stretched out for a pen, all of her fingers extended out to their fullest, someone stomped a shoe on them. A heavy dress shore. "Ow." Artemis said, her fingers were throbbing with pain. She could barely stand it.  
  
The shoe wearer ground his foot into her hand. Artemis dropped the pen from in between her index and middle fingers and began trying to pull her hand back. "Leave me alone." She pleaded, her vision was blurring with tears.  
  
"Get off of her." Came Riley's voice in a harsh command. Suddenly the shoe's pressure was gone. Riley had tackled the wearer of the shoe. 'Point One for Riley.' Artemis thought to herself, and turned her attention to Riley and the shoe wearer. They were apparently trying to punch each other while not getting hit, and neither was doing very well.  
  
They were both punching very well, but they were also being hit very badly. If it wasn't such a serious situation, Artemis would be laughing at their poor abilities. She was a black belt for a reason. She reached down with her good hand, and squeezed Riley's shoulder, telling him to get up. He did so after a moment, and then so did the shoe wearer. But Artemis wanted to see his face. She wanted to see who tried to break her fingers (and/or ruthlessly crush them into the ground).  
  
The man now had a fat lip, with blood on it. His left eye was starting to swell with a bruise. But through that all, there was something very familiar about him to Artemis. Then it just came fully. "Mr. Vew?" Artemis asked, shocked.  
  
Their next-door neighbor, from when Artemis lived with Kenny and her mother. Mr. Vew was good friends with Kenny, and he liked Artemis's mother enough, but Kenny always told Mr. Vew how bad a child Artemis was, so he didn't like her. "Mr. Vew, what are you doing in Minnesota?"  
  
"Yer Daddy wants you to come back." Mr. Vew answered, his strange accent twisted even more by his fat lip.  
  
"Never. I'm not going back. And you can tell Kenny that." Artemis said fear choking her, making the words all the harder to say.  
  
"I'm not to go back withoutcha." Mr. Vew answered.  
  
"What's going on?" Riley asked.  
  
"Get in the car." Artemis answered, and then she followed her own advice. "Now drive." She ordered when Riley jumped in. The doors locked, and suddenly Artemis felt a bit better about Rick Riley. "Thanks for your help out there."  
  
"Yeah, but who's 'Mr. Vew?' And why was he on our school campus. And why did he attack you?" Riley asked, and he pulled the car out of the parking lot.  
  
"Old next door neighbor." Artemis answered. "I don't know why he was on our school campus. It seems that Kenny wants me to go back home, and Mr. Vew is just a violent person."  
  
"Who's Kenny?"  
  
"Stepfather." Artemis answered.  
  
"You're going to make these questions very hard to get answers to, aren't you."  
  
"Probably." Artemis admitted. "Can we just go back now? Mr. Vew is probably gone, and I'm exhausted." Rick nodded back, and he drove off. When they got back into the parking lot "Mr. Vew" was definitely gone, and it was very quiet. Rick leaned over, and landed a kiss on Artemis cheek before he got out of the car. Artemis followed him out, and they split ways in an odd silence.  
  
~~  
  
When Artemis got to her dorm, she was shocked to find Connie and Julie awake, and several of the guys over. "Hi." She greeted with a slight wave. All turned to her and waved back or greeted her. They were all engrossed in a movie, and Artemis smothered a chuckle at that. She headed for the bathroom, so she could more easily inspect her hand.  
  
She heard the door make a satisfactory click behind her and she sighed in relief. She grabbed the knuckles of her bad hand with her good hand and winced. Mr. Vew wore very painful shoes. Her knuckles were dark with bruises, and they were extremely tender to the touch. Only a dull ache resided when there wasn't any contact with her fingers.  
  
She would live, but the injury in itself was initially a very bad thing. It was her right hand. It would hurt to write. And more importantly for Artemis, it would hurt to draw. And it would be basically impossible to wrap her fingers around a hockey stick, even through her gloves. 'Why do these things always happen to me?' Artemis thought miserably. Blowing on her fingers to try and soothe them some. But it didn't help very much at all. "Oh well." She sighed. She always had Ace© bandage handy, and she set about wrapping up her hand gently.  
  
She jumped about a foot in the air when Connie entered the bathroom, while she was wrapping. "I knocked but no one answered." Connie explained, and Artemis nodded back; she hadn't heard the knock. "Sketch? Hurt again, I see. So, what happened? And where have you been?"  
  
"I might as well tell everyone at once, since you know about as much about my personal life as I do. Why stop now?" Artemis answered. She didn't mean for her words to come out so coldly, but they did. And there wasn't much she could do about it, but apologize, which she did swiftly, with a barely coherent, "I'm sorry."  
  
Connie nodded in understanding. She knew how Artemis felt, the Ducks knew as much about her as she did them. And that alone was virtually everything. She didn't have many secrets, really. She could understand where Artemis was coming from. "Come on, I'll shut off the movie, because I'm that kind of person." She said smiling slightly.  
  
The corners of Artemis's turned up in a wry smile. Connie grabbed Artemis's good hand and led her out into the main room. She walked assuredly, after releasing her hold on Artemis, up to the TV and shut if off, much to the unhappiness of her friends. "Oh, shut up, guys, we're going to intrude on Artemis's personal business again, and I'm sure that we'd all be much pleased if you'd pay attention."  
  
"So much for subtle." Artemis rolled her eyes, and Connie grinned and blushed in agreement. "Okay, here's the story, and if you interrupt me, I'm not going to finish, so if you have anything to say, say it now." Artemis wasn't used to expressing her opinion, and she was actually rather shy of her friends, but she knew if she stopped she wouldn't want to go through it again. "And this is the whole story, so get comfortable while you're at it. If you want your other friends to hear it, they get here now, or you tell them."  
  
The audience she had consisted of: Charlie, Adam, Ken, Russ, Connie, Guy, and Julie. That was about half, and enough for Artemis to know that they could each managed to tell someone, and everyone would know. They all nodded, but none moved to leave. They didn't want to miss her story. Artemis sighed softly in defeat. 'Now or never.' Artemis told herself. It was a phrase that she used to sustain herself with when she wanted to stand up to Kenny, but it hadn't worked for her before. But when her brother took her side, and held her left hand in his, and with the supportive gazes of her friends, she began. "Well, Sun Boy, you might know some of this. Add at the beginning, if you'd like."  
  
~~~~  
  
Four-year-old Artemis grinned at Helios through her cracked fingers. "Peeker!" Helios cried aloud in dismay. "You don't know hide and seek!" Artemis just giggled and shrugged, and walked up to her twin.  
  
"Tag! You're it!" Artemis shot off, Helios quick behind her. They careened down a hallway, and Helios smashed into Artemis when she stopped without warning. He mumbled something about an 'ouchie' but didn't add to that. Mom and Dad were at it again. Mom hurled a plate at her husband in fury, though if one was madder at the other, it was definitely Dad.  
  
"I can't believe this." He said softly and sadly, running a hand through his thinning hair. "But . . .why? Why would you do this to our family? How could you?"  
  
"How could I not?" The voice of Mrs. Banks was full of passionate sorrow. "You're working your life away, my children are always running havoc or playing hockey. No one in the damned house even loves me anymore. Kenny loves me. He does." She added stubbornly at the skeptical look that Mr. Banks gave her.  
  
"I don't care if Ken does love you, which is in itself highly doubtful." Mr. Banks spoke Ken's name sourly, as if it tasted odd in his mouth. "The children all need and love you, and so do I. We both know that you're just running away from responsibility. You always have." Mr. Banks' words ended acidic and he spat them out, as if he desperately wished that they would burn his wife.  
  
"Me? Running from responsibility. You would work your life away at the station if you could!" Mrs. Banks retorted with an accusation of her own. "Just so you wouldn't have to come home and take care of your family, you lying bastard!"  
  
"EXCUSE ME?" Mr. Banks exploded, not literally, but close enough to scare a pair of four-year-olds away without a second thought. Mom and Dad fought constantly. And the pair always somehow got involved in their arguments. Even as young as they were; they knew that they had both done something horribly, horribly wrong, and that they shouldn't ever be forgiven for it. Or, that's how their parents treated them half of the time.  
  
"I didn't mean to." Artemis told Helios, with wide unblinking doe-like eyes. "I promise."  
  
Helios nodded his agreement, and twisted his fingers around each other. "Let's ask Nafen!" Nafen. A.k.a. Nathaniel, Nathan, their older brother, who seemed to have unlimited resources of information about the world. They nearly flew up the stairs to bombard him with questions, but they never got the chance.  
  
Nathan was in his room, lying facedown on his bed, muffled sobbing noises escaping the eight-year-old boy, his entire body shaking with the exertion. He tried to a act normal when the pair entered the room timidly. He tried to never cry in front of them. "Hey brats." He greeted them affectionately, and Artemis stuck our her tongue at him. Helios noticed something wrong, though.  
  
"Nafen? Why are you crying?" Helios asked, both he and his sister were rather articulate for their age.  
  
"Nothing to worry about, little brother, I'm just leaking a little bit." He answered with a small half-grin. "What have you to ask the all-knowing today?" They always approached him nervously when they wanted to know something.  
  
"Are we bad?" Artemis blurted out, and then clamped her own hands over her mouth, her eyes watering up, knowing that she had done something else wrong. Something else for Mom and Dad to yell about.  
  
Nathan looked at her gloomily, though. "Of course not, who said you were?"  
  
"Mommy." Helios answered for her, though. Nathan sat back at this, a troubled look on his face.  
  
"Come here, Artemis, Helios." He motioned toward his bed. The two were a bit fearful, now. He never called them by their real names unless they were in trouble, or something serious was going on. They both leaped on the bed, hopping on it a few times, before receiving a look of warning from Nathan. "I didn't want to be the one to tell you guys this, but I have to. Mom and Dad . . . Mom and Dad are getting a divorce. Do you know what that is?" Both four-year-olds shook their heads at him, curious. "Well, that means that they aren't going to live together anymore. Mom is moving away. With Ken. And I think that one of you are going to go with her."  
  
"But . . . we don't wanna be alone wif no-one else." Helios objected, Artemis nodding firmly behind him, her eyes watering with tears at the thought.  
  
"I know, but I have to stay here with dad." Nathan answered, though he evidently wanted the twins to remain together just as much as they did. "Don't worry, you guys will be okay, I promise."  
  
"Okay." Artemis answered, and Helios was the one to nod then.  
  
~~  
  
It took a year and a half before the divorce was finalized. Artemis and Helios had turned six, and they had realized exactly what was going on. The two grew closer together, and away from everything else, except their skating. Helios was playing hockey, under Nathan's watchful eye, and Artemis was working on perfecting the smooth grace that she had mastered on the ice. They had also grown to despise Kenny, completely. They both refused to be anywhere near the man, especially alone.  
  
Helios had been decided to stay with Mr. Banks (butchered English language there), and Artemis to go with Kenny. Helios begged that they were switched. He knew it, heart and soul, that if Artemis went with him, something horrible would happen to her. Her innocence would be gone forever, and she would be just a shell of herself. When she wasn't skating, or with her brothers, her eyes turned dead as it was. But their parents wouldn't be swayed. They both knew exactly where they had to go, no choice whatsoever.  
  
So, they split up. Artemis went with her mother and Kenny, while Helios and Nathaniel stayed with their father.  
  
~~  
  
At first it wasn't so bad, Artemis went to stay with her biological father every other weekend, and she and her two siblings talked on the phone a lot of the time. Artemis and Helios even went to the same school, so they saw each other and were contented with it.  
  
Slowly, though, things began to change. There were excuses why Artemis couldn't stay with her family, couldn't call because of the phone bill. A new job opening in another part of town, excusing Artemis to go to another school. Soon, there were so many reasons, that Artemis couldn't even e-mail her father or her brothers, at all. Though she knew that they tried to keep in contact with her.  
  
The family of three, Artemis, her mother, and Kenny moved across the country, severing all ties with the rest of the Banks' family except the e- mails that Artemis managed to send to Helios during her study hall.  
  
Yet again, things could only get worse. Kenny began to beat Artemis.  
  
****Okay, I'm going to make this long story a helluva lot shorter, because my computer totally wiped out this file and I don't think I can stand to write the whole thing out all over again from memory. Let's call it the compact version****  
  
Soon, Artemis never saw anyone from a school, the only true ties to the outside world she had. She was home schooled and the only time she really got out of the house was to do some shopping, or cut the yard or when Kenny and her mother were too drunk to notice that she wasn't there, which was actually much more often than it should have been.  
  
Artemis began carrying her sketchpad as if it were the only thing keeping her alive. On her tenth birthday, Kenny nearly beat her to death, and he stabbed her in the stomach. The cut didn't become infected, but if Artemis hadn't known the basic first-aid, she would have died from blood loss.  
  
Two years later, being slashed with a large kitchen knife wasn't even the most severe punishment delivered to Artemis.  
  
Soon after, she met her first true friend. A girl who hung out at the grocery shop while her older sister worked there. Her name was Tammy Duncan. Artemis was too shy to talk to Tammy at first, but Tammy was too stubborn to give up, and Artemis wanted a friend too badly.  
  
~~  
  
"Hello!" A girl with long blond hair swept back into a ponytail smiled brightly. Artemis hid her bruised face behind a veil of her own sandy hair, gathering the girl was talking to someone else. "I said 'Hello.'" The girl spoke again.  
  
"Hi." Artemis whispered back, adjusting the bags in her arms. There wasn't much in the bag, but food was precious rare, and Artemis wouldn't risk even a crumb of it.  
  
"I'm Tammy Duncan and my little brother Tommy's around here somewhere, my older sister, Sarah, works here. Who're you? Are you new? I've never seen you at school or anything before." Tammy spoke in a rushed, excited sort of way. She held out her arms in an offering to help Artemis carry her bags, but Artemis pulled away, eying Tammy warily. "I'm not going to steal your food, I just wanted to help you carry them to your parents' car."  
  
Artemis looked blankly back. "My parents aren't here. I have to go home, now." She spoke into her bags and turned.  
  
"I'll come!" Tammy grinned. "Just let me ask my sister if I can go."  
  
"NO!" Artemis's voice was shrill, and Tammy looked at her in shock, Artemis again tried to hide her face but it didn't work, Tammy had seen the bruise on Artemis's cheek, and she gasped.  
  
"Oh my God!" She spoke in a whisper. "What happened to you? Who did that?!"  
  
"It-it was an accident." Artemis answered, stepping back. "I-I've really gotta go!" She turned and sped off. She crashed, though into a short redheaded boy, and she dropped her bags, spreading the food everywhere, ruining it. "NO!" She cried again. "Oh no, oh no, oh no. What am I going to do now?" Tears began pouring down her cheeks.  
  
"Tommy! Why don't you watch where you're going?" Tammy scolded the boy. "Don't get so upset, I'm sure your parents won't mind. After all, it was my brothers' fault, not yours. Don't cry over spilt milk . . .and eggs, bread, and some vegetables."  
  
Apparently Tammy's words provided no comfort to Artemis, who continued to mutter to herself. "I don't have anymore money. Oh no! Kenny will kill me!"  
  
Tammy jumped up, as an idea struck her. "Come with me!" She demanded, and grabbed Artemis's hand and pulled her inside. "Sarah!" She spoke to the cashier, who looked upon her younger sibling in interest. "Tommy ruined all of her food, but she doesn't have any money for more, could we giver her a hand?"  
  
"Tommy, you should be more careful. I get a discount, no problem-o. Tammy, you can help her find her food. As for you, Tommy, go sit down, consider yourself grounded." Sarah spoke clearly, and shooed all three of the children away.  
  
"Come on . . .wait, what's your name again?" Tammy asked curiously.  
  
"Ar-Artemis." Artemis responded shyly, and Tammy nodded approval before she began the escapade of finding food.  
  
~~  
  
Artemis walked out of the store holding more food than she usually bought in a month. Sarah paid for it all, without even considering how much she spent, thought for most anyone but Artemis, it truly wasn't that much. Only twenty-five dollars, with the discount. Sarah made much more than in a paycheck. "Thank you, so much." She told Tammy, bowing her head again to shield her face. Tammy nodded and shrugged.  
  
"Well, it wouldn't have happened if Tommy hadn't spilt all your food. Are you sure that you don't want me to help you carry that home?"  
  
"Oh! I'm so late! I'll see you later, Tams, I have to go!"  
  
"What did you call me?" Tammy asked, surprised.  
  
"Tams. I'm sorry, it was just kind of easier to say."  
  
"That's okay, I don't mind in the least." Tammy smiled and waved as Artemis jogged off, holding her food, her arms overflowing.  
  
~~  
  
Tammy and Artemis became the best of friends, and Artemis had more opportunities to leave the house, with Kenny and her mother passing out nearly every day from too much alcohol or their drugs. Tammy began to re- teach Artemis about everything she knew about ice-skating. Tammy knew what was going on at Artemis's house, as did Tommy, and the Duncan's nearly adopted Artemis; she was at their house so much. They gave her a key of her own, in case she ever had to get in the house to hide from an impending 'accident' (a.k.a. Kenny).  
  
Despite the actually bruises that Artemis sported, there was no evidence to actually set a trial up against Kenny, but that didn't stop any suspicions. The one time that the Duncan's actually tried to approach Kenny and the once Mrs. Banks, the next time they saw Artemis, she was heavily bruised, and she had several marks of dried blood, that had to have come from another punishment that had to have come from the knife.  
  
They never tried speaking to Kenny or Artemis's mother again.  
  
~~  
  
Two years later, with Tammy and Artemis closer than ever, Kenny had had enough. Artemis was on her own. He kicked her out of 'his' home with not even a change of clothes. Artemis was glad to be free from his punishments. Now fifteen, she had nothing to loose, but nothing to gain. She headed straight for he only haven of the Duncan's house. They immediately took her in, and she stayed with Tammy in her room.  
  
~~  
  
"Art, what are you going to do now?" Tammy asked, with an arm wrapped around her best friends' shoulders.  
  
"I think I'm going to try to find my father, my biological father. I'm going to try and stay with him, I guess. I hope he hasn't moved. I don't know another way to catch up with him." Artemis whispered back, her knees to her chin, and looking at her old worn-in sneakers.  
  
"Who's your father? Oh, that's weird; you told me where he lives, or lived, maybe. I used to live around there, but I don't remember anyone with the last name Janine." Tammy spoke.  
  
"That's because Janine isn't my last name. I have two middle names. My whole name is Artemis Lana Janine . . .Banks." Artemis whispered. "I'm so sorry I lied, I didn't even really think of it as lying at the time! I always tell people my name is Artemis Lana Janine, and then we became best friends, and I didn't see a real reason to tell you differently. I didn't think that it was that important."  
  
"Banks?" Tammy asked. "As in your twin is Adam Banks, from team USA? The one who was on the Hawks, but then became a Duck on a technicality."  
  
"Yep, he's my twin, my other half. But his name isn't Adam Banks. His name is Helios Adam Bryan Banks."  
  
"No way! I knew him! And he hasn't moved. Someone would've told me by now."  
  
Artemis shrugged. "Good. I'll call him, now, can I?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
~~~~  
  
"After that, Dad sent me the ticket at Tammy's house and since he didn't really want me at home, he sent me here with Heli—I mean—Adam. I'm really not going to get used to calling him that." Artemis finished. The Ducks were all staring silently at her in shock and awe. "Do I have something on my face?" She asked dryly.  
  
"So, what happened to your hand?" Connie asked, eyeing the bandaged limb.  
  
"A friend of Kenny's, Mr. Vew, was here. Riley kind of tricked me into a date. He choked on a French fry; you should've been there. It was great. When we got back here in the parking lot, he tried to kiss me, so I pulled the car door open, and more or less toppled out. Everything in my purse spilled everywhere, and while I was getting on Mr. Vew stomped on my hand and ground it into the ground. That's what happened to my hand. Something probably would have broken if it weren't for Riley. He saved my hand, and maybe my life. Mr. Vew was going on and on about how Kenny wanted me to get back home.  
  
"If Riley weren't there, God only knows he would've kidnapped me, and brought be back. He said that he wasn't to leave without me, or something to that extent. Anything else you want to know? I'm past exhausted, and I really, really want to get some sleep."  
  
No one said a word, but the guys filed out silently, Adam only after hugging his twin tightly and the rest after saying some comforting words. She only believed one of them, because he spoke with confidence, as if he knew. "Artemis, I don't know if it will be okay, in all honesty, but we'll pull through. You'll see. You're a Duck now, you always have been, I can tell. Good night." Ken whispered it all in her ear, and she hugged him, too, and then he left, leaving the three girls alone.  
  
After yet another few hugs, each headed to bed, to think of what had happened.  
  
(a/n: Okay, I'm sooooooooooo sorry for the long wait, and that's all for this chapter. Like I said in the middle of the flashback, several of my files were deleted completely. And I've been sooooooooooo busy. I have two exams tomorrow, so soon I should be able to get more up sooner, summers starting in 2 days for me. Then again I'm going to drivers ed., and I'm getting a job. I'll do my best. Okay, please review! PLEASE! **grins** I'm almost pathetic, begging for reviews . . .oh well, please review, though. I love feedback!) 


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